CNN
–
Air pollution surged to unhealthy levels worldwide in 2021, according to a new report.
A report from IQAIR, a company tracking global air quality, found that average annual air pollution in all countries, and 97% of cities outweigh the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines, designed to help governments develop regulations to protect public health.
Of the 6,475 analyzed, only 222 cities had average air quality that met WHO standards. It was found that three territories meet WHO guidelines: French territory in New Caledonia and US territory in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are one of the worst air pollution countries, exceeding the guidelines at least 10 times.
Scandinavian countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and the UK are ranked as countries with the best air quality, with average levels exceeding the guidelines one or two times.
In the US, IQAIR discovered that air pollution exceeded WHO guidelines two or three times in 2021.
“The report highlights that governments around the world will help reduce global air pollution,” Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of Iqair North America, told CNN. “(Particles) kill too many people each year, and governments need to set stricter national standards for air quality and explore better foreign policies that promote better air quality.”
Above: IQAIR analyzed the average annual air quality of over 6,000 cities, categorized from highest air quality to blue (meeting the PM2.5 guild line) to purple (who exceeding the PM2.5 guidelines at least 10 times). Interactive maps are available from IQAIR.
This is the first major global air quality report based on WHO's new annual air pollution guidelines updated in September 2021. The new guidelines have halved the acceptable concentration of 10 to 5 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter (PM 2.5).
PM 2.5 is the smallest contaminant, but also the most dangerous. When inhaled, it travels deep into the lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like fossil fuel burning, dust storms, wildfires and is associated with many health threats, including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory diseases.
Millions of people die from air quality issues each year. In 2016, according to the WHO, around 4.2 million premature births were associated with microparticles. If the 2021 guidelines were applied that year, those found out there could be around 3.3 million pollution-related deaths.
IQAIR analyzed pollution monitoring stations in 6,475 cities across 117 countries, regions and regions.
In the US, air pollution increased sharply in 2021 compared to 2020. Of the over 2,400 US cities analyzed, the Los Angeles atmosphere remained the most polluted despite a 6% decline compared to 2020.
“The reliance on (US) fossil fuels, increased severity of wildfires, and changes in enforcement of clean air conduct from management to administration have all been added to US air pollution,” the author writes.
Researchers say the main sources of pollution in the United States are fossil-powered transport, energy production and wildfires, which wreaking havoc in the country's most vulnerable and marginalized communities.
“We rely heavily on fossil fuels, especially in terms of transportation,” said James, who lives a few miles from Los Angeles. “We can act smarter about this with zero emissions, but we haven't done it yet. And this has a devastating impact on the air pollution we see in major cities.”
Climate change fuel wildfires played a key role in decreasing air quality in the United States in 2021. The authors pointed to many fires that led to dangerous air pollution, including the Cardor and Dixie fire in California, including the bootleg fire in Oregon, which smokes all the way to the East Coast in July.
China, one of the worst air pollution countries, showed improvements in air quality in 2021. More than half of the Chinese cities analyzed in this report have lower levels of air pollution compared to the previous year. The capital, Beijing, reportedly, continued its five-year trend in improving air quality due to a policy-driven drawdown of the urban pollution industry.
The report also found that Amazon rainforest, which acted as the world's leading advocate for the climate crisis, released more carbon dioxide than it was absorbed last year. Deforestation and wildfires threatened important ecosystems, polluted the air and contributed to climate change.
“This is all part of a formula that leads to or leads to global warming,” Hamms said.
The report also revealed some inequality. Monitoring stations are still scarce in several developing countries in Africa, South America and the Middle East, with air quality data lacking in those regions.
“When you don't have that data, you're really in the dark,” Hamms said.
Hammus said Africa's Chad state was included in the report for the first time due to improved surveillance networks. IQAIR discovered last year that the country's air pollution was the second highest in the world after Bangladesh.
Tarik Benmania, a climate change epidemiologist at the Scripps Ocean Research Institute, also said that his research into the health effects of wildfire smoke, and that relying on monitoring stations could only lead to blind spots in these reports.
“I think it's great that they rely on different networks, not just government sources,” Benmania, who was not involved in the report, told CNN. “However, many areas don't have enough stations and alternative technologies exist.”
In its 2021 report, the United Nations Intergovernmental Commission on Climate Change concluded that in addition to slowing the rate of global warming, it also has the advantage of reducing the use of fossil fuels, improving air quality and public health.
Hammes said the IQAIR report is the reason the world is pulling away from fossil fuels.
“We have a report. We can read it, we can internalize it, we're really dedicated to taking action,” she said. “We need a big move towards renewable energy. We need to take dramatic action to reverse the tide of global warming. Otherwise, the impact we (who will) and the trains are irreversible.”