Where did pollution affect in the whole world? Industrialization, use of pesticides and nitrogen-based fertilizers, crop residues in agriculture, urbanization, forest fires, desert dust, and inadequate waste management have intensified environmental health risks and pollution, especially in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, the global economy relies on deeply intertwined supply chains, sustained by more than 100 billion tons of raw materials entering the system each year. Intensive material consumption depletes natural resources and causes negative environmental impacts at every stage of the product lifecycle including production, use phase, and end-of-life. Global waste is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tons by 2050. 

Pollution of all types hinder development outcomes. Air pollution, exposure to lead and other chemicals, and hazardous waste including exposure to improper e-waste disposal, cause debilitating and fatal illnesses, create harmful living conditions, and destroy ecosystems. Pollution stunts economic growth, exacerbates poverty and inequality in both urban and rural areas, and significantly contributes to climate change. Poor people, who cannot afford to protect themselves from the negative impacts of pollution, end up suffering the most. 

Pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death. Pollution causes more than 9 million premature deaths, the majority of them due to air pollution. That’s several times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Global health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are reminders of the strong linkages between environment and health and of the need to address such linkages systematically. 

Air pollution is the leading environmental risk to health, causing 7 million premature deaths each year. This is equivalent to the number of people that have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. A recent World Bank publication found that air pollution cost the globe an estimated $8.1 trillion in 2019, equivalent to 6.1 percent of global GDP. More than 95 percent of deaths caused by air pollution occur in low- and middle- income countries. In individual countries, the economic burden of pollution associated with premature mortality and morbidity is also significant, equivalent to 5 to 14 percent of countries' GDPs. 

Recent evidence points to the similar devastation caused by exposure to harmful chemicals, such as lead. In 2019, more than 5.5 million adults died from cardiovascular disease arising from lead exposure. 90% of these deaths occurred in lower- and middle-income countries. In the same year, children younger than 5 years of age lost 765 million IQ points. Lead exposure cost countries $6 trillion, equivalent to 6.9% of global GDP. 

Indeed, individual studies for Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Lao PDR, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria,  Pakistan, Peru, Slovakia, Ghana and Vietnam, at national and subnational levels, suggest that the costs of pollution-related diseases are mainly due to outdoor and household air pollution, and exposure to lead and other chemicals. 

It is critical to address pollution because of its unacceptable toll on health and human capital, as well as associated GDP losses. Pollution management offers no-regrets options that can alleviate poverty, boost shared prosperity, and address the vital demands of millions of people for healthier and more productive lives. Pollution management can also make substantial contributions to climate change mitigation through actions such as reduction of black carbon and methane emissions, which contribute to both air pollution and climate change. In addition, pollution management can enhance competitiveness, for example, through job creation, better energy efficiency, improved transport, and sustainable urban and rural development. 

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals and plants. It can even damage buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gasses, solid particles or liquid droplets. 

Sources of Air Pollution 

Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people burning fossil fuels, which include coal, natural gas and oil. Problems with human-caused air pollution began in the mid-1700s, when Europe and North America entered the period of time known as the Industrial Revolution. During this time, the rise in air pollution was largely caused by more people burning coal to heat their homes and to power factories and engines. 

Today, the burning of fossil fuels—in vehicles, airplanes, power plants and factories—is still a major source of air pollutants, meaning substances that contaminate the air. Cigarette and e-cigarette (or vape) smoke are also considered air pollution. These human-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources. Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires, ash from volcanoes and windblown sand or dust, occur naturally. These are called natural sources. 

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Mountains or tall buildings in and around cities can prevent air pollution from spreading. This air pollution, called smog, often appears as a cloud making the air murky. The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and "fog." 

Large cities in economically developing nations tend to have worse air pollution than cities in economically developed nations. This is largely because of fewer regulations, lower financial resources and lack of access to cleaner fuels. According to the 2023 World Air Quality Report, the world’s top four most polluted cities were all in India. Still, economically developed nations also have air pollution problems. In 2022, Italy and Poland were at the top of a list of European countries with the worst air quality. In the United States, the city of Los Angeles, California is known to be the smoggiest city in the country. 

Indoor Air Pollution 

Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But air pollution is also a concern indoors. 

Naturally occurring radon gas—a cancer-causing material—is released through the surface of the Earth and can build up in homes. There are many tools and methods to help owners reduce radon levels in their homes and other buildings. 

Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to human health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores can then enter the air and spread throughout the house, causing anyone who breathes in the spores to become sick. Smoking is also a source of indoor pollution. Secondhand smoke—breathing in smoke from someone else using a cigarette—can raise the risk of lung cancer. 

Heating a house by burning substances, such as kerosene, wood or coal, can expose residents to harmful smoke. The people who suffer the most from using these sources of fuel are women and children in low- to middle-income countries, where they often do not have access to electricity and where other fuels are too expensive or inaccessible. 

Effects on Humans 

People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. These effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects. 

Short-term effects, which may be temporary, include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They may include discomfort, such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness and nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant. 

Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory disease, such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves, brain, kidneys, liver and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants can raise the risk of birth defects. The State of Global Air Report estimates that, worldwide in 2021, about 8 million people died from exposure to air pollution. 

People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults—whose immune systems tend to be weaker—are often more sensitive to pollution. Certain conditions, such as asthma, heart disease and lung disease, can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors. 

The most dangerous kinds of air pollution are fine particulate matter and ultrafine particulate matter. Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that travel through the air in smoke from diesel engines and in windblown dust and dust storms. Wildfire smoke also carries dangerous particulate matter. Fine particulate matter ranges in size from less than 2.5 to 10 micrometers. (This is much smaller than a human hair, which is roughly 50 to 70 micrometers wide.) Ultrafine particulate matter measures at 0.1 micrometers, or 100 nanometers, or even smaller. 

When people breathe in smoke or dust, the fine and ultrafine particulate matter can enter their lungs, travel through the bloodstream and affect major organs. Prolonged exposure can lead to serious illness and even death. Again, the length of exposure and the amount and type of pollutants are deciding factors. 

Effects on the Environment 

Like people, animals and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer the effects of air pollution. 

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from power plants and motor vehicles that burn fossil fuels. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition, degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams, and harms crops. It can even cause buildings and monuments to decay. 

Air pollution can also directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can damage crops or reduce their yield, and it can harm young trees and other plants. Air pollution can even directly damage buildings. Some pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, break down stone and other materials. 

Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Disease, DNA damage and harm to the reproductive systems of animals have all been attributed to air pollution. 

Air pollution also affects visibility of the environment. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. 

Global Warming 

Global warming—a phenomenon caused by anthropogenic air pollution—refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Greenhouse gasses trap heat energy in the Earth’s atmosphere. This “greenhouse effect” is how the planet stays warm enough for humans and other life to survive. But human activities are releasing too much of these gasses into the atmosphere, causing Earth’s overall temperature to rise. 

Humans have come to rely on burning fossil fuels to power vehicles, heat homes and run factories, at the cost of polluting the air with carbon dioxide. Energy consumption, including heat and electricity generation, is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation, manufacturing and construction are also major pollution sources. 

Other greenhouse gasses emitted by natural and anthropogenic sources include methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gasses. Methane is a major emission from coal mines and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gasses, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gasses are often used instead of gasses such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer. 

Global warming is making air pollution from natural sources worse. As the Earth has become hotter and drier, wildfires have become more frequent occurrences worldwide, bringing with them hazardous smoke. More areas are experiencing desertification, meaning they are turning into hot, dry deserts, which has resulted in sandstorms that send sand and dust into the air. 

Most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from just a handful of regions. At the top of the list are China, the United States, India and the European Union (EU). 

Regulation 

Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to combat global warming by reducing or limiting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 nations. Each nation committed to work on adopting laws to reduce the air pollution they emit. 

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new air quality guidelines to set stricter limits on the amount of air pollution people can safely be exposed to each year. The guidelines recommend limits for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide air pollutants. In 2021, the EU began revising its own air quality standards to align more closely with the WHO’s latest recommendations. 

One method used by many countries to reduce emissions from industrial activity is called cap and trade. A cap, or limit, is placed on the amount of pollution a company is allowed to emit. Companies that exceed their cap must pay. Companies that pollute less than their cap can trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade essentially pays companies to limit their pollution. The EU, Mexico and the U.S. state of California all have cap-and-trade programs in effect. 

India is also experimenting with a cost-based system designed to reduce particulate air pollution. In 2019, the state of Gujarat launched a pollution control market for trading in particulate matter emissions. Businesses that emit too much particulate matter must buy permits from those that emit less, making the heaviest polluters pay the most. 

Reduction 

Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution by making simple changes in their lives. Taking public transportation or riding a bike instead of traveling in gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Other air pollution reduction measures include taking fewer airplanes to travel, turning off lights when you do not need them, and eating less meat. 

Air pollution affects all things. It is harmful to our health, and it impacts the environment by reducing visibility and blocking sunlight, causing acid rain, and harming forests, wildlife, and agriculture. Greenhouse gas pollution, the cause of climate change, affects the entire planet. 

 

Harming Human Health 

According to the (link is external)World Health Organization, an estimated seven million people die each year from air pollution. More than 4,000 people died in just a few months due to a severe smog event that occurred in London in 1952. Ground-level ozone causes muscles in the lungs to contract, making it difficult to breathe. Exposure to high ozone levels can cause sore throat, coughing, lung inflammation, and permanent lung damage. 

Diagram of the trachea, lungs, and bronchial tubes showing how ozone affects breathing. When air quality is good, normal lungs have wide open pathways for air and breathing is easy. When ozone levels are high, muscles in the bronchial tubes contract, the pathways for air are narrowed, and breathing is difficult. 

Ozone pollution affects our lungs, making it difficult to breathe. 
UCAR 

Symptoms from short-term exposure typically resolve quickly, but long term exposure is linked to serious illness and disease in multiple body systems. Children, the elderly, and people with ongoing illnesses are more vulnerable to air pollution than other groups. Urban populations are also at greater risk due to high concentrations of pollution within cities. (link is external)Check the current air quality in your area to determine if you should take precautions such as reducing or avoiding outdoor activity. 

Short-term exposure to air pollution can cause: 

Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause: 

Coughing 

Wheezing/difficulty breathing 

Irritation to eyes, nose, and throat 

Headache 

Dizziness 

Fatigue 

Respiratory diseases (asthma, emphysema) 

Cardiovascular damage 

Harm to liver, spleen, and blood 

Nervous system damage 

Cancer 

Birth defects 

Death 

Harming Animals and Plants 

 

Brown patches on these potato leaves are evidence of moderate ozone damage. 

Danica Lombardozzi/NCAR 

Wildlife can experience many of the same negative health effects of air pollution that humans do. Damage to respiratory systems is the most common effect on animals, but neurological problems and skin irritations are also common. 

Plants and crops grow less when exposed to long-term air pollution. Ozone pollution harms plants by damaging structures called stomata, which are tiny pores on the underside of leaves that allow the plant to "breathe." Some types of plants can protect themselves by temporarily closing their stomata or producing antioxidants, but others are particularly sensitive to damage. Between 1980 and 2011, nine billion dollars-worth of soybeans and corn were lost in the US as a result of ozone pollution. When acid rain, lead toxicity, and exposure to nitrogen oxides change the chemical nature of the soil, plants are robbed of the nutrients that they need to grow and survive. This impacts agriculture, forests, and grasslands. 

There are many other ways that air pollution affects living things, such as damaging the habitat, water, and food sources that plants and animals need to survive. 

Causing Acid Rain 

Stone features on a building are crumbling and damaged due to acid rain. 

Acid rain damages buildings. 
UCAR/NAME 

Burning fossil fuels releases sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Acid rain forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide mix with water droplets in the atmosphere to make sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Winds can carry these pollutants for thousands of miles, until they fall to the Earth's surface as acid rain, which damages the leaves of vegetation, increases the acidity of soils and water, and is linked to over 500 deaths each year. Buildings and other structures are also impacted by acid rain, which causes an estimated five billion dollars of property damage each year. Acid rain dissolves mortar between bricks, causes stone foundations to become unstable, and is destroying ancient buildings and statues carved from marble and limestone. 

Reducing Sunlight 

High levels of particulate pollution from all types of burning reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface and even changes the appearance of the sky. When less sunlight is available for photosynthesis, forests grow at a slower rate and crops are less productive. Hazy skies not only reduce visibility, but also impact the weather and even the climate. 

Making a Hole in the Ozone Layer 

 

In 2019 the ozone hole over Antarctica (shown in blue) was the smallest it has been since the hole was discovered. Since the banning of CFCs, the ozone hole continues to shrink, but scientists warn that complete recovery is still uncertain. 

NASA 

The hole in the ozone layer is caused by air pollutants. Chemicals used as refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contain chlorine atoms. Releasing chlorine atoms into the atmosphere destroys ozone. A single chlorine atom can destroy thousands of ozone molecules. The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet-C (UVC) and ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation from the Sun — it protects us in a way that is similar to putting sunscreen on your skin to prevent sunburn. The ozone hole puts all living things at risk by increasing the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the surface. Exposure to this radiation increases the risk of skin cancer in humans, restricts growth and development in plants, slows the development of fish and amphibians, and reduces the number of phytoplankton in marine ecosystems. It also causes natural and synthetic materials to breakdown at an accelerated rate. 

Adding Too Much Nitrogen to the Land 

Gaseous ammonia (NH3) from agriculture and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from car, truck, and airplane emissions increase the amount of nitrogen in soils. Plants need nitrogen to grow, but too much nitrogen can limit the growth of some plants and increase the growth of others, disrupting the balance of species within an ecosystem. This disruption is negatively impacting grasslands and other fragile environments around the world. This map shows global ammonia hotspots identified over a 14-year period. Warm colors represent an increase in ammonia, while cool colors represent a decrease in ammonia. 
NASA 

Effects of Greenhouse Gas Pollution 

Greenhouse gas pollution is causing climate change. As a result, ecosystems are changing faster than plants and animals can adapt, and many species are going extinct. Marine ecosystems are vulnerable to ocean acidification caused when carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is dissolved in seawater. Ocean acidification makes it difficult for many marine species to grow shells and skeletons. 

Melting ice sheets, warming oceans, and extreme weather conditions are examples of how climate changes caused by greenhouse gas pollution threaten ecosystems across the Earth. In many cases, the decline of one or a few species due to air pollution can topple the balance of entire ecosystems. 

 

 

 

 

 

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