The authors of the Air Quality Index report, issued by the Energy Policy Institute at the American University of Chicago, indicated that “the final reduction of global air pollution, in response to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, would add 2.2 years to life expectancy,” according to what she said. France Press agency.
Bringing the level of fine particles in the air into line with World Health Organization standards would extend the lifespan of every person in South Asia by 5 years.
These tiny particles, classified by the United Nations in 2013 as carcinogens, penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the blood, and can cause diseases in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
The World Health Organization recommends that the density of particulate matter in air does not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter during any 24-hour period, and remain below 5 micrograms per cubic meter on average over the course of a year.
Almost every populated area in the world exceeds the recommendations of the World Health Organization, but Asia holds the record, with levels in Bangladesh 15 times higher than the required rates, ten times higher in India, and nine times higher in Nepal and Pakistan.
In the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with a population of about 300 million, diseases caused by these particles reduce life expectancy by eight years, and the figure is up to ten years in the capital, New Delhi.
As for the world as a whole, particulate matter pollution did not decrease in 2020 (the most recent data available) compared to the previous year, despite the sharp economic slowdown and the decline in carbon dioxide emissions due to the Corona pandemic and lockdown measures.
However, the situation in China is improving, as pollution decreased by 40 percent between 2013 and 2020, adding two years to the life expectancy of its residents.
