The world is changing rapidly and it seems these changes come with new and unexpected consequences for our health. Recently, scientists have warned that breathing is getting more difficult due to an increase in air pollution levels. As the air quality continues to degrade, the consequences on our health are becoming increasingly severe. So, what exactly is causing this decrease in air quality? In this article, we will discuss the possible causes of this issue and the potential health consequences of breathing in polluted air. Read on to find out why scientists are predicting that breathing is going to become even more challenging in the near future.
Avoidable Health Consequences
As the global climate and temperatures continue to rise, so does the probability of increased air pollution from natural sources. Scientists have found that a temperature increase of 4 degrees Celsius will lead to a 14 percent increase in pollution from plants and dust. Plants emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) which, when inhaled by humans, can cause numerous health problems such as asthma and cancer. Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperatures will only further increase the amount of BVOCs emitted by plants.
Dust from the Saharan desert is the second largest contributor to future air pollution. As temperatures continue to increase, so will the amount of dust blown into the atmosphere. This can cause issues such as dry eyes and throat irritation, but more importantly, it can aggravate existing respiratory health problems.
The key to avoiding this impending problem is reducing emissions of CO2. If humanity is able to decrease its current emissions, we may very well be able to improve our overall air quality and avoid further increases in pollution from natural sources. Without this progressive change in attitude towards emissions, we risk facing serious health and environmental consequences due to air pollution from natural sources that could have been avoided.
Scientists have warned us that breathing is going to get tougher in the future, and the causes of this are already here. Pollution, climate change, and air contamination are just some of the preventable consequences of human activities that contribute to poor air quality and make it difficult for us to breathe. Our health and our lives depend on our ability to reduce these effects and make sure that our air is safe and healthy. We must take action now, if we are to make sure that our ability to take deep breaths and enjoy life is not compromised in the future.
