Air Pollution And Health: Amidst Of Covid-19

It is estimated that 91% of the world’s population breathes polluted air. This results in air pollution being a prominent risk factor for the health of the people.

- Dr. Sumal Nandasena

The research studies have demonstrated associations between air pollution exposure and increased diseases and deaths. It is estimated that air pollution exposure results in over nine million premature deaths every year.

Air pollutants affect almost all health systems of the human body. When we breathe, air pollutants enter the body. Therefore, the respiratory system is the first contact with air pollutants. Depending on the type and dose of inhaled pollutants and components of the respiratory system damage, they cause different symptoms and diseases in the respiratory system. Respiratory infections could be upper respiratory tract infections (i.e., infections limited to the upper part of the respiratory system) or lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia (i.e., infections affect the lower part of the respiratory system). The commonly seen respiratory symptoms and diseases are repeated cough, wheezing, exacerbation of asthma, respiratory infections, etc. Diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases among adults could occur and increase the severity.

Once the air pollutants are in contact with sensitive respiratory system components such as the lungs, the pollutants could enter the bloodstream and may end up in different health systems in the human body and damage them. These damages in health systems will result in various diseases. Scientific research has shown several diseases in the health systems of the human body that are associated with exposure to air pollution.