Page 42 - Demo

40Environmental scientists work to improve air quality and public health by studying the composition patterns and health impacts of ozone, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matterOn a sunny, windless day, the city is shrouded by a veil of haze with limited visibility. The smell of pollutants is detectable in the air. Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks that threatens human health on a global scale. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, 99% of the world%u2019s population lived in places that failed to meet the standards set in WHO air quality guidelines. In the same year, air pollution was estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide1. Exposure to severe air pollution is associated with elevated risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes and obesity, as well as reproductive, neurological and immune system disorders2.TAKE A DEEP BREATHTake adeep breath1 \ from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health. 2 \ https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/air-pollution.