OECD : the cost of air pollution
Air pollution kills Some 3.4 million deaths are attributed to ambient outdoor air pollution in 2010. The World Health Organization released an updated number of 3.7 million for 2012, emphasising the gravity and worsening of the problem. We now have more advanced monitoring technology for measuring emissions and ambient concentrations of pollutants, as well as a more comprehensive and rigorous methodology for relating exposure to air pollutants with mortality. In OECD countries, the total number of deaths was reduced by 4% between 2005 and 2010. However, progress has not been uniform. Mortalities fell in 20 OECD countries, but increased in 14. In China, deaths increased by about 5% in this period, and in India by 12%. China is home to one-fifth of the world’s population but accounts for nearly two-fifths of the global death toll linked to outdoor air pollution. India has far fewer air pollution-related mortalities, but deaths from ambient air pollution are rising more quickly. Even when emissions have been reduced, the lagged effect of past pollution often causes a continuing increase in the global death toll.
6%
Figure 1: Outdoor air pollutioncaused deaths. Breakdown by disease
3%
Ischaemic heart disease
11%
Heart strokes 40%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Lung cancer
40%
Acute lower respiratory infections in children Source : WHO, 2014
2