In a recent review, it has been found that 9 million people a year are dying from pollution. This equates to one in six deaths worldwide. This figure outweighs the deaths that are caused by other factors such as drug/drink misuse, road accidents and disease (e.g., malaria, HIV/AIDs, and TB).
The threat of pollution to our health comes from air, water and soil that is contaminated with toxic materials and chemicals. If we don’t look at ways to become more sustainable, the release of these toxic materials will increase, which will also increase the harm it does to our health and to our planet.
Studies have shown that the effect pollution has on our health has not improved. Since 2017, the number of deaths caused by pollution reached 45 million, averaging at around 9 million per year. The drive for urban areas and the increasing need for fossil fuels to produce energy has meant that the pollution rate is rising. Not only does this increase our global carbon footprint due to the release of further greenhouse gases, but it is also has damaging effects on our health.
The contamination of water means that there are some areas of the world that are struggling to access clean water. The water they are drinking is contaminated with toxic chemicals that should not be ingested.
Air pollution is also seeing a rise in symptoms in asthma sufferers and according to the UK Government between 28,000 to 36,000 people die each year in the UK from issues caused by air pollution.
These deaths should be a viable instigator for both companies and individuals to look for ways to lower their emissions to decrease their input to the pollution of the planet. Such as recycling to stop waste gong to landfill and using renewable energy to stop the need for burning fossil fuels.
