October 20, 2017.
Pollution is a global scourge. Whether it concerns air, water, soil or materials, it kills 9 million people every year around the world.
Pollution responsible for 16% of deaths worldwide
A study published in the journal The Lancet on October 20, reveals the work carried out by some forty specialized scientists, international organizations and NGOs for nearly three years on the effects of pollution. The results are alarming: nine million people die prematurely each year worldwide from diseases caused by pollution air, water, soil or certain materials.
In other words, 16% of deaths are directly linked to the consequences of pollution. For comparison, this represents “ three times more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and fifteen times more than those caused by wars and all other forms of violence », Specify the authors of the study.
How does pollution kill?
Air pollution and fine particles cause heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Water pollution causes 1.8 million deaths: poor sanitation or contamination of sources lead to gastrointestinal illnesses and parasitic infections. At last, toxic and carcinogenic substances in the workplace are also considered a pollution in their own right and are likely to increase in the years to come.
The people most at risk are the inhabitants of the poorest areas of the planet. There, one in four deaths is caused by pollution. In India, Madagascar, Kenya, Pakistan and China industrialization is very strong, but the study wants governments to stop believing in “ myth that pollution is an inevitable consequence of economic development. “
Maylis Choné
To find out more: Air pollutants: what are they, where do they come from?
