Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – This number may be difficult to comprehend, but almost all of the world’s population, i.e. 99 percent, breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants, as confirmed by the World Health Organization through its its official website.
The organization has indicated that outdoor and indoor air pollution causes respiratory and other illnesses and is a major source of disease and mortality.
Low- and middle-income countries have the highest rates of exposure to air pollution.
Air pollution, which Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population dubbed the “silent killer” on Twitter, causes nearly 7 million deaths every year.
Air pollution directly causes these diseases:
- brain attack
- heart disease
- Lung cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Pneumonia
- asthma
Energy-burning appliances, motor vehicles, industrial plants and fires are common sources of air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.
Air pollutants that are a major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide.
