The main sources of anthropogenic air pollution can vary geographically, but include the energy sector, the transport sector, domestic cooking and heating, waste dump sites, and industrial activities and agriculture. In 2013, outdoor air pollution and PM were classified asĬarcinogenic by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).Īir pollution originates from numerous sources of emission, both natural and anthropogenic (resulting from human activity). PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and PM₂.₅ can even enter the bloodstream, primarily resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory impacts. The health risks associated with PM smaller than or equal to 2.5 microns (µm) in diameter (PM₂.₅) are of particular The pollutants with the most robust evidence for public healthĬoncern include particulate matter (PM), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO). black carbon/elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, and particles originating from sand and dust storms).Īir pollution is the contamination of the air we breathe, indoors or outdoors, by any chemical, physical or biological agent that is potentially threatening to human and ecosystem health. offer new good practice statements on the management of certain types of PM (i.e.offer additional AQG levels, such as for peak season O₃ and 24-hour NO₂ and CO, as well as some new interim targets.provide higher certainty in the evidence of health effects occurring at lower levels than previously understood.
use new methods for evidence synthesis and guideline development.Note: Annual and peak season is long-term exposure, while 24 hour and 8 hour is short-term exposure.Ĭompared to previous WHO guidelines, the new AQGs: ᵇ Average of daily maximum 8-hour mean O₃ concentration in the six consecutive months with the highest six-month running-average O₃ concentration. Recommended 2021 AQG levels compared to 2005 air quality guidelines. There are also now clearer insights about sources of emissions and the contribution of air pollutants to the global burden of disease. Of the updated AQG values are now lower than 15 years ago. For that reason, and after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, several Since the last 2005 global update, there has been a marked increase in the quality and quantity of evidence that shows how air pollution affects different aspects of health. WHO periodically issues these health-based AQGs to assist governments and civil society in reducing human exposure to air pollution and its adverse effects. They are also a practical instrument with which to design effective measures to achieve pollutant emission and concentration reductions, and therefore, to protect human health. Guideline levels for specified pollutants can be used as an evidence-informed reference to help decision-makers in setting legally binding standards and goals for air quality management at international, national and local levels. When action is taken to reduce these classical pollutants it also has an impact on other pollutants. The guidelines focus on so-called classical pollutants, particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO). They cover some of the most monitored pollutants critical for health, for which evidence on health effects from exposure has advanced the most in the past 15 years. The AQGs also serve as a reference for assessing if, and by how much, the exposure of a population exceeds levels at which it might cause health concerns. They also offer qualitative statements on good practices for the management of certain types of particulate matter (PM), for example, black carbon/elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, and particles originating from sand and dust storms, for which there is insufficient quantitative evidence to derive AQG levels.īased on the extensive scientific evidence currently available, the guidelines identify the levels of air quality necessary to protect public health worldwide. The updated WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) provide recommendations on air quality guideline levels as well as interim targets for six key air pollutants.
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