WHO: Asia home to world’s most polluted cities

Foremost Peshawar, Pakistan, which has a concentration of fine particles of 540 micrograms / m3. The threshold established by WHO is 20 mg / m3. In India there are four of the five most polluted cities in the world. Each year 7 million people die of causes related air pollution.

 

Geneva (AsiaNews) - Asia holds the record for the most polluted cities on the planet. New figures published on May 12 by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that eight out of 10 citizens in the world are affected by air pollution, most of which is concentrated in the capital cities of Asia, especially in emerging countries. According to the WHO, in addition, every year seven million people die prematurely from the consequences of air pollution.

The new study takes into account 3 thousand cities (42% of the world population) spread among 103 countries. Globally, the concentrations of fine particles in urban areas increased by 8% over the past five years.

The threshold recommended by WHO is 20 micrograms per cubic meter (mg / m3) for the annual concentration of PM10 particulate matter, but in 98% of cities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants of the developing countries this amount is surpassed. Pakistan, Afghanistan and India are the countries most at risk. The most polluted city in the world is Pashawar, in the northeast of Pakistan, which has a concentration of 540 ug / m3. In Karachi, the economic capital of the country, there are 290 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, while in Rwalpindi 448.

India is home to four of the five most polluted cities in the world: Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur. The capital New Delhi - which in 2014 was the worst - is now 11th.

Even the Gulf countries are facing an emergency due to pollution air. The inhabitants of Riyadh and Al Jubail are subjected to a concentration of fine particles of over 350 micrograms / m3. Haman Town, Bahrain, reaches 318; Ma'amer exceeds 257.

In contrast, the atmosphere in China seems more breathable, even if they are 40 cities that far exceed the threshold dictated by WHO. Seoul Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, is one of the worst, with a concentration well above 205 g / m3. The causes of the continued high pollution are the use of fossil fuels to feed power plants, the use of cars which has increased among the middle classes, the use of coal for home heating.

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