20 Countries With the Worst Air Pollution, Masks Are a Staple
As a whole, Americans tend to think little about our air being contaminated. Many of us only perk up to think about air pollution when there’s a nearby (and sometimes not so nearby) wildfire or temperature inversion in a city, creating smog.
Residents of other countries aren’t as lucky on the air pollution front.
Swiss air quality technology company IQAir measured the average amount of air pollution in 134 countries. Their data reveals a troubling disparity among countries where air contamination is the worst and best.
A Baseline
To determine which countries have the greatest amount of air pollution, IQAir analyzed the average annual PM2.5 concentration in each country’s air. PM2.5 is fine particulate matter that’s so small it’s undetectable without a microscope.
The number 2.5 represents 2.5 micrometers. To put how small that number is into perspective, human hair has a diameter of about 70 micrometers. That means contaminants classified as PM2.5 are over 30 times smaller than a single strand of hair’s diameter, and they can wreak havoc on one’s health.
Below is the concentration of PM2.5 in the air of the countries with the worst air pollution. For reference, a PM2.5 between 0 to 5 meets the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) guidelines. In contrast, numbers between 25.1 – 35.0 exceed the WHO’s guidelines by 5 to 7 times, numbers between 35.1 – 50.0 exceed the WHO’s guidelines by 7 to 10 times, and numbers over 50.1 exceed the WHO’s guidelines by over 10 times.
What Makes PM2.5 Bad
PM2.5 is dangerous because it can enter the bloodstream via lung tissue. The effects of long-term exposure to high amounts of PM2.5 can range from asthma and cancer to cognitive impairment in children and heart disease.
Experts point the finger at the burning of fossil fuels as one of the driving factors of air pollution. Furthermore, global climate change is altering old weather patterns. The result is that a change in wind and rainfall is disrupting the dispersion of pollutants, augmenting the air pollution problem in certain regions of the world.
Troubling Numbers
Although Bangladesh ranks firmly as the worst country in the world for air pollution, it doesn’t tell the full story. From a city-wide perspective, India is home to 83 of the 100 most polluted cities on Earth.
Air pollution from fossil fuels is believed to cause around 5.1 human fatalities per year, while ambient and household air pollution takes an estimated 6.7 million lives annually.
Mask Up
Wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic was unfamiliar territory for most Americans. But in many parts of Asia, mask-wearing wasn’t new.
Masks have long been used in certain parts of Asia to protect residents from dangerous contaminants in the air. Many also used it to prevent getting sick well before “the pandemic” became a global term.
Americans Aren’t Immune
Each year, approximately 135,000 Americans pass away early due to air pollution. Approximately four in 10 of us live in an area where air pollution is considered bad enough to be a health risk.
But which cities are the worst air pollution offenders?
Year-round air contamination tends to be worse on the West Coast. Visalia, California, ranks as the worst city for air pollution. The Californian Fresno-Madera-Hanford metro area comes in second place. Two Oregon metro areas make the list (Eugene-Springfield and Medford-Grants Pass) as well as Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona, and Fairbanks, Alaska.
10 Coastal Cities Sinking Into the Ocean, One in the U.S.
Residents in certain coastal cities are all too familiar with the concept of sinking land. Buildings that are too heavy for the ground to support and people extracting too much groundwater are among the worst offenders. These are the world’s fastest-sinking coastal cities.
10 Coastal Cities Sinking Into the Ocean, One in the U.S.
15 “Yummy” Bugs That Some Cultures Eat Every Day
Eating bugs might not fit your idea of a gourmet meal, but in many cultures, these critters are dietary staples. Considering their numerous health benefits and minimal environmental impact, perhaps it’s time for Americans to start considering incorporating insects into our diets.
