Air pollution is a global problem.

The World Health Organization recently estimated that, in

2012, approximately 3.7 million people died as a result of exposure to ambient air pollution
(http: //www.who.int/phe/health topics/outdoor air/databases/en/). Worldwide ambient air
pollution contributes to 6.7% of all deaths. Lowand middle-income countries in the Southeast
Asia and Western Pacific regions where the air pollution is most severe had the largest air
pollution-related disease burden. The disease burden remains significant even in the developed
countries where the levels of air pollutants are generally much lower because of the constant
exposure of the large number of people to the air pollutants (http:
//www.who.int/gho/phe/outdoor air pollution/burden/en/). This review discusses the global
burden of air pollution and focuses on the health effects associated with two most prevalent air
pollutants, ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM). The review is intended for clinicians and
anyone who is interested in the clinical aspect of air pollution.(Huang, 2014).The increase in air
pollution that have occurred around the urban industrial centers of Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt
are particularly problematical since these in the same locations as the primary agrarian region,
which is limited to the Nile river basin as the primary source of irrigation water. Studies of the
effects of air pollution on vegetation have been carried out in the last 20 years in the greater
Cairo area and around the main roads within Nile delta region.

Ali (1993) reported instances of visible injury on clover/berseem (Trifolium repens) and Egypt
Mallow (Malva parviflora) plants growing close to the industrial complex at Shoubra El-Khaima.
Mean pollution concentrations between November 1987 and January 1988 reached 160 μg m-3
SO₂, 88 μg m-3 NOx and 680 μg m-3 of total suspended particles. Hourly mean O3
concentrations ware also recorded of greater than 100 ppb. Visible injuries included necrosis, red
spots and chlorides with 60% and 54% of clover and Egyptian Mallow leaves injured
respectively.
Hassan et al. (1995) assessed the impact of O3 on the growth and yield of local varieties of radish
(Raphanus sativus L.cv. Balady) and turnip (Brassica rapa L.cv. Sultani) at sub-urban and rural
sites of Alexandria using EDU to protect control plants from O3 effects. At the site mean 6 hour
O3 concentrations over the experimental period were 55 ppb in the sub-urban site and 67 ppb at
the rural site. O3 Impacts include the formation of chlorotic spots on the upper leaf surface and
reductions in plant biomass. These effects were recorded for the radish at the both sites and for
turnip only at rural site. The study proved that levels of ambient in O3 in Egypt are high enough
to have significant impacts on the growth and yield of local varieties of vegetable crops, even at
the time of year when O3 levels are relatively low.

In South Africa there are number of locations where air pollution is perceived to be a problem.
Industrial plants located on the highveld using coal as primary fuel source result in emissions of
SO₂ (Siversten et al.1995) SPM emissions from household coal and wood burning are also a
concern in urban areas. Due to the high SO₂ emissions, the commercial forests located
downwind of the high highveld have been most extensively studied for air pollution
impacts to the vegetation in South Africa. Two years old plants of three commercially
important forest species (Pinus patula, Pinus elliotii and Eucalyptus grandis) were exposed
to SO₂ at 4 different concentrations: 133,226,1300, and 2660 μg m-3 For 1` or 2 hours a day
over 26 days (Kelly,1986). Visual damage to E. grandis was evident at short duration exposures
to concentrations of 1300 and 2660 μg m-3 Whereas P. patula was unaffected. (2001 ,‫)قطر‬
The problems of pollution are not limited to the borders of a country. The harmful effects extend
beyond the borders of the originator of the pollution. That is why development of policy
frameworks for Pollution Control and Waste Management is a priority for the Environment and
Natural Resources Sector of the EAC Secretariat.

All Partner States are parties to the Eastern African Regional Framework Agreement on Air
Pollution (Nairobi Agreement, 2008). The States agreed to develop actionable targets to address
air pollution in the following key areas: Transport, Industry and Mining, Energy, Waste,
Vegetation Fires, Indoor Air pollution, Urban Planning and Management. The EAC is working
on development and harmonization of standards and regulations on pollution control and waste
management. The EAC Secretariat is working on the implementation of the provisions of the
Eastern African Framework Agreement on Air Pollution, and developing the EAC Electronic
Waste Management Framework and Management of Plastic and Plastic Waste Disposal.(Huang,
2014).Cities and rural areas worldwide are affected by air pollution. When planning a trip,
consider health status, age, destination, length of trip and season to mitigate the effects of air
pollution. In accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in
Somalia is considered moderately unsafe - the most recent data indicates the country's annual
mean concentration of PM2.5 is 32 µg/m3, exceeding the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3. 

Contributors to poor air quality in Somalia include factories and production industries, inefficient
fuel use, vehicle emissions, and forest fires. City-specific air quality data is not available at this
time.(Kamra et al., 1997). A total of 2.36 million people (1.84 million students and 520 000
staff) learn, lecture, research and work at 334 different universities, colleges and polytechnics in
Germany. With regard to their consumption of energy and materials, universities are therefore
comparable to large commercial concerns. Environmental pollution not only occurs in lecture
halls and research laboratories, but also in the area of administration. This air pollution could be
reduced considerably by the systematic implementation of organizational and technical
measures. For example, a third of all energy consumed in public institutions could be saved with
the introduction of such measures. If the University of Osnabruck were to reduce its energy
consumption by just 20% it could save 500 000 DM in energy costs every year. However, the
necessity to become more involved in environmental protection should not be guided by
financial arguments alone: universities make a significant contribution to the development of our
society, and therefore have a special societal responsibility, in particular with regard to the
sustainable protection of the environment and the use of resources. University environmental
protection projects can encourage other public institutions to act, thus making the universities
role models.(Viebahn, 2002)

This pyramid Shows how impact of air pollution has the world according to health

As the world gets hotter and more crowded, our engines continue to pump out dirty emissions,
and half the world has no access to clean fuels or technologies (e.g. stoves, lamps), the very air
we breathe is growing dangerously polluted: nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air,
which kills 7 million people every year.

The health effects of air pollution are serious – one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and
heart disease are due to air pollution. This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking
tobacco, and much higher than, say, the effects of eating too much salt.

Air pollution is hard to escape, no matter how rich an area you live in. It is all around us.
Microscopic pollutants in the air can slip past our body’s defences, penetrating deep into our
respiratory and circulatory system, damaging our lungs, heart and brain.

Air pollution is closely linked to climate change - the main driver of climate change is fossil fuel
combustion which is also a major contributor to air pollution - and efforts to mitigate one can
improve the other. This month, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that
coal-fired electricity must end by 2050 if we are to limit global warming rises to 1.5C. If not, we
may see a major climate crisis in just 20 years. 

Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change could save about a million
lives a year worldwide by 2050 through reductions in air pollution alone. The economic benefits
from tackling air pollution are significant: in the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gas
emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost more than 4% of their GDP. 

“The true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs. The health burden of
polluting energy sources is now so high, that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for
energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself,” says Dr Maria Neira,
WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.

The lack of visible smog is no indication that the air is healthy. Across the world, both cities and
villages are seeing toxic pollutants in the air exceed the average annual values recommended by
WHO’s air quality guidelines. To help people better understand just how polluted the air is
where they live, the WHO, UN Environment and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Breathe
Life campaign developed  an online pollution meter.
This year, WHO and partners are convening the first Global Conference on Air Pollution and
Health in Geneva on 29 October – 1 November to rally the world towards major commitments to
fight this problem. The conference will raise awareness of this growing public health challenge
and share information and tools on the health risks of air pollution and its interventions.

This conference will showcase some of WHO’s work on air pollution, including the findings of
its Global Platform on Air Quality and Health. This platform whose diverse membership
includes researchers, civil society, UN agencies and other partner institutions reviews the data on
air quality and health. For example, the platform is working on techniques to more accurately
attribute air pollution coming from different sources of pollution. It is also working on improving
estimates of air quality by combining the data from various air quality monitoring networks,
atmospheric modelling and satellite remote sensing.

Air pollution has a disastrous effect on children. Worldwide, up to 14% of children aged 5 – 18
years have asthma relating to factors including air pollution. Every year, 543 000 children*
younger than 5 years die of respiratory disease linked to air pollution. Air pollution is also linked
to childhood cancers. Pregnant women are exposed to air pollution; it can affect fetal brain
growth. Air pollution is also linked to cognitive impairment in both children and adults

There are two main types of air pollution –  ambient air pollution (outdoor pollution) and
household (or indoor) air pollution refers to pollution generated by household combustion of
fuels (caused by burning fuel such as coal, wood or kerosene) using open fires or basic stoves in
poorly ventilated spaces. Both indoor and outdoor air pollution can contribute to each other, as
air moves from inside buildings to the outside, and vice versa.

This type of pollution is also known as Indoor pollution and it kills 4 million people a year and
tends to affect countries in Africa and Asia, where polluting fuels and technologies are used
every day particularly at home for cooking, heating and lighting. Women and children, who tend
to spend more time indoors, are affected the most. 

This type of air pollution is also known as ambient air pollution and it has more effects than the
first one when a comparison arrived.

The main pollutants: are (1) particulate matter, a mix of solid and liquid droplets arising mainly
from fuel combustion and road traffic; (2) nitrogen dioxide from road traffic or indoor gas
cookers; (3) sulphur dioxide from burning fossil fuels; and (4) ozone at ground level, caused by
the reaction of sunlight with pollutants from vehicle emissions. The pollutant that affects people
the most is particulate matter (often abbreviated to PM and used as a measure for air pollution.)

Along with harming human health, air pollution can cause a variety of environmental effects
Including:

Acid rain is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. These
acids are formed primarily by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere
when fossil fuels are burned. These acids fall to the Earth either as wet precipitation (rain,
snow, or fog) or dry precipitation (gas and particulates). Some are carried by the wind,
sometimes hundreds of miles. In the environment, acid rain damages trees and causes soils
and water bodies to acidify, making the water unsuitable for some fish and other wildlife. It
also speeds the decay of buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our national
heritage. Acid rain has damaged Massachusetts lakes, ponds, rivers, and soils, leading to
damaged wildlife and forests. For more information on acid rain.

Eutrophication is a condition in a water body where high concentrations of nutrients

(such as nitrogen) stimulate blooms of algae, which in turn can cause fish kills and loss of
plant and animal diversity. Although eutrophication is a natural process in the aging of lakes
and some estuaries, human activities can greatly accelerate eutrophication by increasing the
rate at which nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems. Air emissions of nitrogen oxides from
power plants, cars, trucks, and other sources contribute to the amount of nitrogen entering
aquatic ecosystems.

Crop and forest damage. Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a variety of ways.
Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and commercial forest yields,
reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to
disease, pests and other environmental stresses (such as harsh weather). As described above,
crop and forest damage can also result from acid rain and from increased UV radiation
caused by ozone depletion.

Global climate change. The Earth's atmosphere contains a delicate balance of naturally
occurring gases that trap some of the sun's heat near the Earth's surface. This "greenhouse
effect" keeps the Earth's temperature stable. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that
humans have disturbed this natural balance by producing large amounts of some of these
greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane. As a result, the Earth's atmosphere
appears to be trapping more of the sun's heat, causing the Earth's average temperature to rise
- a phenomenon known as global warming. Many scientists believe that global warming
could have significant impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, forests,
wildlife, and coastal areas.(Effects, n.d.)