Air pollution is an invisible killer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that nine out of ten people worldwide breathe polluted air, and seven million premature deaths each year can be linked to air pollution.
According to the Environmental Performance Index, air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to public health.
In December 2016, Beijing issued its first pollution ‘red alert’, closing schools, factories and construction sites for four days, and taking half of all private cars off the road. During this period, the intensity of the smallest polluting particles known as PM 2.5 was reported at around 40 times the WHO maximum safe level.
Exposure to PM 2.5 in the polluted air can penetrate deep into lungs and the cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Beijing’s red alert was a positive step in the right direction. But research suggests the problem has a global dimension.
Countries such as China and Mexico are taking measures to tackle and reduce air pollution from particulate matter, including committing to tougher regulations on polluters and fines for law-breakers. They are also investing in renewable energy, switching domestic fuel from coal to electricity, and legislating for cleaner vehicle standards.
Monitoring emissions
Halma companies Crowcon, Perma Pure and Ocean Optics use advanced sensor technology to capture high-quality emission measurements, including sulphur, ammonia and various NOx gases. They share real-time data with their customers around the world, which is used for everything from pure emission monitoring and reporting to monitoring oxygen levels, toxic gas and flammable hazards, and controlling exhaust gas treatment systems.
Related
