On March 22, Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, issued an air pollution warning after the city recorded high air contamination levels. London’s mayor encouraged citizens to “look after one another” by walking, cycling, and avoiding automobile trips, emphasizing the dangers of air pollution. He warned citizens to stay safe, especially those who suffer from respiratory illnesses. Writing about London’s air pollution is to highlight the importance of adequate air. The world still does not recognize the severe damages air pollution causes to our bodies, and it is time to act and do something about it.
The last time London had a warning of high pollution levels was back in the hot, stuffy summer of 2020. Since then, London has been busier than ever, with high levels of traffic that create a significant impact on the city’s air quality. The government has already thought of solutions to combat air pollution; charging a daily fee to drivers is one of them and incentivizes citizens to shift to public transportation.
Unfortunately, the shift to public transportation is not as easy as it seems. Switching to public transportation is not appealing for automobile enthusiasts or users and is less appealing for those who have lengthy and complicated commutes. Recent studies have stated that Londoners are at high risk due to poor air quality. According to LondonAir’s study of pollution in the city, lousy air causes individuals’ lifespan to reduce and roughly 9,400 more deaths each year. The severity of air pollution is highlighted by the city being under a state of emergency and the high mortality levels.
According to The World Health Organization, air pollution is categorized as a public health emergency, and their research indicates that air pollution is considered a bigger killer than tobacco smoking. Professor Dean Schraufnagel from the University of Illinois at Chicago, one of the many professionals who conducted the study, explained how every organ and cell of our body is severely damaged by air pollution. Heart and lung diseases, dementia, diabetes, bladder cancer, liver problems, and fertility difficulties are all caused by air pollution. Various parts of our organs are severely damaged due to the minuscule size of toxic air particles that are in the air. Professor Schraufnagel explained that each time we inhale, these tiny pollutants enter our body and end up in our blood system. After reading the study that was done, Dr. Neriman, director of public environmental health from the World Health Organization, emphasized her concerns about this public health emergency that should be controlled and taken seriously by individuals.
If this public health emergency is not tackled and taken seriously by governments worldwide, we will be highly exposed to air pollution and its consequences. We can take some actions to reduce air pollution.
Recommendations include:
– Reduce the number of trips taken by car. Carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible
– Reduce fireplace and woodstove use
– Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible
– Conserve energy – at home, at work, everywhere
In the meantime, we all should be protecting ourselves from the environment we can control, and that is our indoor air. Air purifiers are medical-grade machines that can be used to protect ourselves from indoor pollution. Air purifiers do not eliminate outer pollution, but they reduce indoor contamination and the associated health consequences. Most importantly, they ensure a safe and pure air.
The HEPA 13 filters in AIR8 air purifiers ensure that the air is safe and clean. Filters with a HEPA 13 filter can remove 99.97 percent of particles as tiny as 0.1 microns. To ensure the security that everyone requires, we use the most advanced and cutting-edge technology available. Six high-level filtering stages are included in our medical-grade air purifiers. To remove hazardous contaminants, each level of filtration uses a different method. This filter combination ensures that 99.97% of harmful particles, viruses, and bacteria in the air are removed. With air pollution being a public health issue, having an air purifier that will give us clean air has never been more critical.