More than 70% of cities in the world do not meet WHO standards for air pollution
Kyiv • UNN
More than 70% of cities in 134 countries do not meet WHO standards for PM2.5 air pollution, with Bangladesh, Pakistan and India among the most polluted and French Polynesia, Mauritius and Iceland having the cleanest air.
More than 70% of 7812 cities in 134 countries do not meet WHO standards for PM2.5 air pollution. This is reported by IQAir, UNN reports.
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According to a recent study covering 7,812 cities in 134 countries, regions and territories, more than 70% of them do not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for PM2.5 air pollution.
PM2.5 is a fine particle that can penetrate deep into the human respiratory tract, leading to serious diseases such as cancer, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
According to the IQAir report, in 2023, only 10 countries and 9% of cities worldwide met the World Health Organization's recommendations for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution levels.
Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso were among the countries with the highest levels of pollution in 2023, taking into account the size of the population. On the other hand, the cleanest air was recorded in French Polynesia, Mauritius, and Iceland.
According to IQAir, New Delhi (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and Baghdad topped the list of capitals with the worst air pollution. While the capitals with the lowest PM2.5 concentrations are mainly located in Oceania, Scandinavia and the Caribbean, in particular in Wellington (New Zealand), Reykjavik (Iceland) and Hamilton (Bermuda).
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Sources of PM2.5 pollution are diverse, ranging from brick kilns in Bangladesh to mining in Latin America. However, the main sources remain the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.
According to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution, primarily due to PM2.5, causes more than 4 million premature deaths worldwide each year.
