Air Pollution: Rising air pollution has increased the number of deaths among young people, the risk of asthma has increased by 21%

Amid the growing threat of air pollution in North India, a comprehensive global study has revealed a huge increase in asthma deaths. Based on a review of 68 studies, researchers found that long-term exposure to pollutants such as PM 2.5 has increased asthma cases, causing 1.20 lakh additional deaths globally. India, China and South-East Asian countries have a high number of asthma deaths among adults. Experts believe that to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution, policymakers should immediately implement effective policies.

Air pollution has raised concerns

According to researchers, one-third of the asthma cases in the world in 2019 were due to long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) present in polluted air. This study was conducted in 22 countries between 2019 and 2023, which includes many countries of South Asia besides India and China. Based on the findings, experts have warned that policymakers need to immediately make strict laws to fight the effects of air pollution.

PM 2.5 increases the risk of asthma

These studies show that the more small particles of pollution (PM 2.5) in the air, the greater the risk of asthma in older children and adults. Every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter increases the risk of asthma by 21%. People with asthma have problems like difficulty in breathing, cough and chest tightness, which makes their lives very difficult.

More danger for children

In the analysis of these studies, researchers have said many important things about the effects of PM 2.5 on children. Their analysis published in One Earth Journal stated that the effect of PM 2.5 for a long time increases the risk of asthma in children and adults. 30 percent of such asthma cases in the world are related to this. According to experts, a person's lungs and immune system develop even before he becomes an adult. This is why children are more vulnerable to air pollution. Being constantly under its influence can cause problems in their respiratory tract.

Wearing a mask will reduce the risk of asthma

According to author Ruijing Ni from The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, it is estimated that in 2019, one-third of the world's asthma cases were caused by long-term exposure to PM 2.5. Of the 63.5 million people suffering from asthma, 11.4 million were new. Researchers said that previous research has shown that PM 2.5 pollution has a greater burden on the population of very low-income countries. The authors also noted that despite low levels of PM 2.5, asthma cases have also increased in North America and Western Europe. Director of The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and co-author Yafang Chang said that wearing a mask as a personal measure to deal with air pollution can also prevent the risk of asthma.

What is PM 2.5?

PM 2.5 are actually very small particles floating in the air, like dust or smoke. These particles are so small that we cannot see them with our eyes. These particles are a major cause of air pollution.