Air filtration systems can save millions of lives

Every day people die from breathing. In an average day, 20,000 people die prematurely because the air they breathe is polluted. Still, we have to keep breathing. With modern air filtration systems, it´s possible to capture and filter the hazardous particles in the air, saving millions of lives as well as mitigating global climate change.

Data from The World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 99% of the global population is breathing air that exceeds the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Low-income countries are hit the hardest. When it comes to the number of deaths due to air pollution, India and China are the worst affected. Also, certain occupational groups, especially industrial workers, are more affected than other groups. However, the percentage speaks for itself, 99% of the global population breathes unhealthy air and that´s nearly all of us. It affects us regardless of where we live, what we do for a living, or if we breathe outside or inside. The air we breathe is in most cases not clean.

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the evidence showing how air pollution impacts people’s health. For this reason, and after a systematic review of the collective evidence, the WHO halved its guideline limits on air pollution in its latest air quality report. Today air pollution is ranked as one of the largest environmental threats to people’s health, alongside climate change – which is also affected by the quality of the air.

What diseases are caused by air pollution?

Unhealthy air comprises a combination of gases and particles. It is often expressed in the form of PM2.5 which is the term for particles that are so small that they can pass through a human lung and cause health problems or death. By breathing PM2.5 we don´t die right away, however, it makes us sick and we die prematurely. There’s a clear link between air pollution and diseases as stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, lower respiratory tract infections, diabetes, and neonatal deaths. In 2019, air pollution was estimated to have contributed to approximately seven million premature deaths, that´s nearly 12 percent of all deaths globally in a year. (Health Effects Institute, State of Global Air 2020; National Geographic Q4, 2021.)

So, how can we avoid these hazardous gases and particles being let out in the air?

Air filtration system has positive effects on climate as well as human health

Industries are one of the biggest contributors to air pollution, alongside household combustion devices, motor vehicles, and forest fires. At the same time, the industries lead the way to a sustainable future. The technology to conduct full-scale industrial production without a negative impact on the environment and human health already exists. It´s just a matter of prioritization and choice of investment. Good air filtration systems at the source of the emission mitigate climate change and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases leading to better air quality – for the climate as well as for human health. A factory with a modern air filtration system not only contributes to saving lives by extracting and filtering the pollution caused by the operation, but also generates a higher production efficiency, lowers energy consumption, and creates a safer working environment for the employees.

By strengthening the regulatory requirements, getting more countries and industrial areas to take responsibility for implementation and adoption of air quality policies, and installing air filtration systems where needed, hazardous particles can be captured and millions of people can be saved.

As clean air experts offering the widest range of air filtration systems, Nederman has the knowledge to protect people, the planet, and your production. We have world leading experience and use state of the art air filtration techniques, specializing in industries such as woodworking, welding, metalworking, composite machining, food processing, vehicle service and emergency stations, laboratories and dentists.

Contact us to see what air filtration system can improve your business. We help you to boost your production efficiency, reduce the environmental effects of your industrial processes, and to create a safe and clean working environment for you and your employees.