Air pollution is a significant menace that has been haunting the world these decades. Delhi is especially the world’s most polluted capital. Almost everything has stumbled in this city. The people are breathing in pollution instead of air. The monuments and roads are almost covered with smog and schools are closed.
Despite the government’s several measures, the pollution is still out of control, which is detrimental to health, especially children, as they are highly vulnerable to pollution. As the children’s respiratory systems are still developing, they can’t cope with the pollution. According to research, 4 in 8 children of age 4-9 have chronic respiratory issues like asthma due to this.
Air pollution is not a problem of one particular nation/ city, but it is an urgent call for the world to take immediate action. Nowadays, everything addressed about Delhi pollution goes viral on social media worldwide. So to bring this problem to light, Otrivin has launched a campaign “Actions to Breathe Cleaner programme”, to accentuate the impacts of pollution. So they made 1000 children write letters using pencils made up of pollution to the adults, calling them to save the earth. This video on Youtube became sensational and earned over 76 K likes.
So let’s pop into this…
So what is air pollution?
Air pollution is the contamination of the air by chemical, physical or biological pollutants. Pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, emissions from motor vehicles/industries, forest fires, etc. This air pollution will lead to acute and chronic health issues like lung cancer, strokes, heart problems, etc. According to WHO, “the combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution is associated with 7 million premature deaths annually”.
What can we do about air pollution?
As habitats of the earth, we’re accountable for caring for our mother earth. So we can take some easy actions to prevent pollution to a certain extent.
- Choose to walk or cycle:
Walking and cycling are beneficial not only to your body but also to the environment. Motorised vehicles emit harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, which are all serious menaces to both the environment and humans.
The CO2 traps the heat in the atmosphere and makes the environment warmer. The warmer the atmosphere gets, the harder the lives will be! So reduce the usage of cars/ bikes, which emits harmful smoke into the environment as much as possible. Instead of cars, you can use an eco-friendly mode of transport that is less polluting and effective simultaneously. Studies have proved that about 4000 tonnes of emissions could be controlled if we start using an eco-friendly vehicle like a cycle.
- Drive your car less:
Of course, walking and cycling are suitable to cover the short distance, and you have no way than driving your car to a far destination. But in such cases, consider these things. Engine build-up is the primary cause of vehicles consuming more fuel and emitting more gas. Therefore, regular maintenance will eliminate engine build-up, improve the car’s efficiency, and decrease the amount of gas emitted into the atmosphere. In addition, use the right fuel and engine oil, as these improve the efficiency by lubricating, cooling and preventing build-ups.
Breaks and Along with the emission, “the brakes and the worn tyre can contribute much to the air pollution. The tiny particles from the brakes and the tyre wear enter into the atmosphere and then into our lungs, causing serious respiratory health damage” – says Autodock car Care, ThreeBestRatedⓇ car shop in Delhi. Moreover, the low tyre pressure increases fuel consumption and gases, which in turn cause air pollution and health hazards.
Thirdly, you must consider the engine idling – leaving the car running when it is not in motion. It is very common when you get stuck in traffic. But, once again, it increases fuel consumption and gas emission. So turning your car off can help the environment to a great extent.
- Stop burning the garage:
If you’re still burning your garbage, stop it as soon as possible. Burning your garbage releases toxic substances like volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), dioxin, heavy metals, and polycyclic organic matter (POMs) into the air. These toxic chemicals are absorbed by our lungs, resulting in breathing issues.
So adopt some eco-friendly waste management measures to keep yourself and your atmosphere safe and secure. One of the best methods of waste management is recycling and reuse. Things such as plastics, paper, glass, and metal can be recycled and reused. According to studies, almost 75% of the waste is recyclable. So try to recycle everything, such as glass jars, shopping bags, and so forth, as much as possible.
- Plant trees:
Trees and other vegetation are one of the best tactics to improve air quality. They help in two ways. Firstly, they absorb the CO2 gas molecules through its pores and stomata, thereby removing the heat from the atmosphere and making the place better to live in. Secondly, they trap tiny and fine particles on their leaves and reduce ambient pollution. Therefore, growing more plants and trees around your home eliminates the pollution entering it. Trees are the most direct and effective way to reduce tonnes of emissions and air pollutants from the atmosphere, as they diffuse the gas molecules like CO2, SO2, and NO2 into the intercellular spaces. Hence, take care of the nearby trees and plant some more.
Earth is the only planet that we can live on. So it is our duty to take care of our earth. Furthermore as today’s generation we should hand over our next generation a pollution -free and safe to live environment. So that our children can lead a better and risk -free life.
