Air pollution is one of the major environmental challenges of our time, affecting millions of people around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year, mainly due to exposure to fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system. Air pollution can also cause various chronic diseases, such as respiratory infections, asthma, allergies, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders.
Industrial activities are among the main sources of air pollution, especially in developing and emerging countries where environmental regulations are often weak or poorly enforced. Industries such as mining, power generation, manufacturing, and construction emit large amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), and heavy metals. These pollutants can have significant impacts on human health, both directly and indirectly, by contributing to climate change and acid rain.
In this post, I will review some of the latest research findings on the health effects of industrial air pollution, focusing on three aspects: the link between industrial pollution and mortality, the impact of industrial pollution on children’s cognitive development, and the economic costs of industrial pollution-related health problems.
Industrial Pollution and Mortality
A recent study by Rahman et al. (2021) examined the relationship between industrial pollution and health status for the top 20 industrialized countries of the world, using data from 1960 to 2019. The study used crude death rate as a proxy for health status and CO2 emissions from manufacturing industries and construction, and nitrous oxide emissions as indicators of industrial pollution. The study found that industrial pollution had a detrimental impact on human health and significantly increased the death rate, while an increase in economic growth, number of physicians, urbanisation, sanitation facilities, and schooling decreased the death rate. The study concluded that minimising industrial pollution should be the topmost policy agenda in these countries to reduce the premature human death rate and improve health status.
Another study by UNEP (2021) assessed the impacts of both household and ambient air pollution on health and the economy in African countries. The study estimated that ambient air pollution driven by the burning of fossil fuels was responsible for an estimated 383,419 premature deaths across Africa in 2019. The study also projected that ambient air pollution would cause a loss of 1.96 billion IQ points per year among children across Africa due to widespread exposure to fine particles that affect brain development. The study highlighted that air pollution not only has social implications but also economic relevance as high intelligence underpins a country’s human capital.
Industrial Pollution and Children’s Cognitive Development
Several studies have investigated the effects of air pollution on children’s cognitive development and found consistent evidence of negative impacts. For example, a study by Perera et al. (2011) examined the association between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants, diesel engines, and other combustion sources, and children’s IQ at age 5 in New York City. The study found that prenatal exposure to PAHs was significantly associated with lower IQ scores, after controlling for other factors such as maternal education, quality of home environment, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. The study suggested that prenatal exposure to PAHs may have lasting effects on children’s neurodevelopment and cognitive function.
Another study by Sunyer et al. (2015) assessed the impact of exposure to traffic-related air pollution during brain development on cognitive function in primary school children in Barcelona, Spain. The study measured children’s exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at home and school using land-use regression models and evaluated their cognitive function using computerized tests. The study found that higher levels of exposure to NO2 were associated with lower working memory and attentiveness scores in children aged 7 to 10 years. The study also found that green spaces at school may mitigate some of the negative effects of air pollution on cognitive function.
Industrial Pollution and Economic Costs
The health impacts of industrial air pollution also entail significant economic costs for individuals and society. These costs include direct costs such as medical expenses and productivity losses due to morbidity and mortality, as well as indirect costs such as reduced quality of life and welfare losses due to environmental degradation. A comprehensive assessment of the economic costs of air pollution is challenging due to data limitations and methodological uncertainties, but some studies have attempted to provide estimates for specific regions or countries.
For instance, a study by World Bank and IHME (2016) estimated the welfare losses and income losses due to air pollution for 142 countries in 2013. The study defined welfare losses as the amount that individuals are willing to pay to avoid premature death due to air pollution, and income losses as the reduction in labour income due to illness and mortality caused by air pollution. The study found that the global welfare losses due to air pollution amounted to $5.11 trillion, equivalent to 7.5% of global GDP, and the global income losses due to air pollution amounted to $225 billion, equivalent to 0.3% of global GDP. The study also found that low- and middle-income countries bore the brunt of the economic costs of air pollution, accounting for 85% of the welfare losses and 88% of the income losses.
Another study by OECD (2016) projected the economic costs of air pollution for 35 OECD countries and four key partner countries (Brazil, China, India, and South Africa) up to 2060. The study used a dynamic general equilibrium model that incorporated the impacts of air pollution on health, labour productivity, crop yields, and climate change. The study estimated that the annual health costs of air pollution would increase from $3.5 trillion in 2015 to $18-25 trillion in 2060, depending on the policy scenario. The study also estimated that the cumulative welfare losses due to premature deaths from air pollution would amount to $69-161 trillion over the period 2015-2060, equivalent to 0.8-1.9% of annual GDP.
Air pollution is a serious problem requiring urgent solutions
Industrial air pollution is a serious threat to human health and well-being, especially in the most industrialized countries in the world. It contributes to various diseases and disorders that reduce the quality and length of life. Therefore, it is imperative to implement effective policies and measures to reduce industrial emissions and protect public health. Some of these measures include switching to cleaner fuels and technologies, improving energy efficiency and conservation, promoting renewable energy sources, enforcing emission standards and regulations, monitoring air quality and health outcomes, raising public awareness and participation, and enhancing international cooperation and coordination.