Air Pollution
The air you breathe affects more than your lungs — it’s a major, and often overlooked, risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Air pollution has been recognised as a major environmental risk to health. According to the World Health Organisation, reducing air pollution levels can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. The lower the levels of air pollution, the better your cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and respiratory health will be.
Caused by cooking fumes from fireplaces or wooden stoves. Some 3 billion people worldwide cook and heat their homes with biomass fuels and coal — almost all of the resulting health burden falls on low-to-middle-income countries like South Africa.
Caused by emissions from industry and road transport. Air pollution consists of particulate matter, invisible gases like nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, and semi-volatile liquids such as methane and benzene.
What is particulate matter? Also known as particle pollution, it consists of tiny particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air. Once inhaled, these particles — along with other harmful compounds — can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.
Particulate matter is a significant source of air pollution that's particularly damaging to the heart and lungs. Size matters here — exposure to "fine particles" (2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller) can get deep into the lungs and the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation.
Particulate matter is also thought to contribute to cardiovascular disease by promoting atherosclerosis — the narrowing of blood vessels — as well as causing cardiovascular inflammation and increasing blood clots.
Most sources of outdoor air pollution are well beyond individual control, and demand action from governments, industry, and policymakers in transport, energy, waste management, buildings, and agriculture. Still, here's what you can do at home:
