Post by bonnasuttadhar225588 on Feb 15, 2024 6:24:37 GMT
For five days in December 1952, thick fog covered the streets of London. The environmental disaster killed thousands of people and left lasting repercussions on the health and climate of the inhabitants; in addition to opening the door to important questions about environmental protection . The pollution episode was caused by smoke from burning coal in city centers to generate energy and heat homes. This was then exacerbated by cold, windless winter weather. The following events focused on measures to eliminate key pollution sources and clean the air. But, on the 70th anniversary of the great fog, what lessons did the health emergency leave about the dangers of coal? Impacts of air pollution The effects of the great fog lasted much longer. Children who were exposed to smog during their first year of life were almost 20% more likely to develop asthma during childhood and 9.5% more likely to develop it in adulthood. Similarly, exposure in utero meant an almost 8% increase in childhood asthma. 70 years later, the air we breathe and see today is much cleaner, but its poor quality still causes between 26,000 and 38,000 premature deaths each year in the United Kingdom, mainly through impacts on health.
Circulatory and respiratory. The resulting costs to healthcare and businesses have been said to amount to £ 20 billion each year. This does not include the costs of reduced quality of life or health conditions where links to pollutant exposure have emerged in recent years (including cognitive decline and dementia ). bad-health-due-to-pollution- Reducing air pollution is possible The recent Annual Report of the Chief Saudi Arabia Email List Medical Officer in the United Kingdom addresses the issue of air pollution, the problems it brings with it, as well as Social Responsibility (SR) to reduce it and protect the health of its inhabitants. The study highlights that while the country's outdoor air quality has improved significantly, it urges government, businesses and society at large to go further to address solutions to stop air deterioration. Which is because the great fog caused great havoc. This includes the relative contribution of different polluting sources to the environment, such as road transport, industry and agriculture.
The report also reveals important gaps in our knowledge, including indoor air pollution. 70 years later, the anniversary of the great fog On the anniversary of the Great Smog, the study establishes the need to focus improvements in air quality in the places where people live, work and study. This approach recognizes that many of these are public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. People there are exposed to air pollution, but they can do little about it individually, so society must act. Outdoors, the report recommends continued transport electrification and technical measures targeting heavy vehicle emissions and wear and tear on car brakes and tires (which, perhaps surprisingly, is now a major source of particulate pollution than exhaust gases). Although industrial emissions have decreased substantially, those from agriculture have not. So simple changes in fertilization approaches are needed. Urban planning should also support the reduction of concentrations and exposure to air pollution, and encourage walking and cycling. Indoors, the optimal balance between ventilation, energy use and heat loss is a priority to reduce air pollution, prevent respiratory infections and achieve net zero .