Access to clean air is a human right. Yet air pollution remains the world’s largest environmental health risk and kills about seven million people each year. World Health Organization data shows that 99 percent of the world’s population breathes air containing pollutant levels that exceed guideline limits.
A new World Health Organization report prepared by David Rojas, an environmental epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, outlines practical actions individuals can take to reduce their exposure to air pollution.
“Policies that improve factory or traffic emissions do not specifically address how we can better protect ourselves from air pollution as individuals,” said Rojas. “This is the first comprehensive guide that really describes what individuals can do and outlines some of the best, most effective options for reducing exposure to air pollution. And in line with the One Health vision, these recommendations prioritize health equity, accessibility, and environmental impact factors.”
The report’s practical advice on how to minimize personal exposure to air pollution includes reducing the amount of time spent in polluted outdoor environments by changing the location and timing of physical activity and using air cleaners. Other effective actions include using respirators (such as N95 respirators, NOT surgical or cloth masks), HVAC systems, carefully deciding walking and cycling routes, and using appropriate driving styles and vehicle settings.
“One of the main takeaways from the report is that the most effective things you can do are also the cheapest,” said Rojas. “My main recommendation is for people to plan ahead. For example, early in the morning is when we have cleaner air because pollution from factories and traffic normally accumulates throughout the day and disperses overnight. And virtually all smart phones have an adequate air quality index on their basic weather app.”
Next, Rojas is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to update Colorado EnviroScreen, a mapping tool of air pollution levels throughout the state that includes comprehensive data on other factors including water quality, noise pollution, heat, drought, population demographics, and health statistics. “The map combines all of this environmental, social, and health information to identify environmental justice issues geographically in Colorado,” said Rojas. He is also working on a project to identify which countries in the Americas are suffering the most from air pollution and what kind of policy interventions would best improve their air quality.
Rojas emphasizes that it is important to remember that these personal-level actions are meant to be temporary and supplementary. The ultimate goal is to reduce air pollution emissions at the source, which requires systemic changes and collective efforts.
“It will require larger societal and political changes to truly improve our air quality and bring about greater gains in human and environmental health,” said Rojas. “We need to do more to improve air quality around the world.”
