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Air pollution can occur naturally or be caused by human activities. [3] Air pollution causes around 7 or 8 million deaths each year. [4] [5] It is a significant risk factor for a number of pollution-related diseases, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung cancer.
The health and environmental impact of transport is significant because transport burns most of the world's petroleum.This causes illness and deaths from air pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a significant cause of climate change through emission of carbon dioxide.
The risk of air pollution is determined by the pollutant's hazard and the amount of exposure that affects a person. [36] For example, a child who plays outdoor sports will have a higher likelihood of outdoor air pollution exposure than an adult who tends to spend more time indoors, whether at work or elsewhere. [36]
The U.S. also saw an uptick in air pollution, climbing from a nationwide average of 8.9 µg/m3 in 2022 to 9.1 in 2023, with the southward-drifting smoke from Canada’s wildfires partly to blame.
Various definitions of pollution exist, which may or may not recognize certain types, such as noise pollution or greenhouse gases.The United States Environmental Protection Administration defines pollution as "Any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard.
Health consequences caused by exposure to polluted air depend on which chemicals are in the air, Pate said. But wildfire smoke is one the worst kinds of air pollution that people can breathe.
Sources of water pollution are either point sources or non-point sources. [155] Point sources have one identifiable cause, such as a storm drain, a wastewater treatment plant, or an oil spill. Non-point sources are more diffuse. An example is agricultural runoff. [156] Pollution is the result of the cumulative effect over time.
A study published in June found that air pollution killed 135 million people over the last four decades around the world, with India and China accounting for the bulk of the fatalities. In 2023 ...