Only seven countries have met the international air quality standard, and fatal air pollution is growing in some areas due to increased economic activity and the poisonous impact of wildfire smoke, according to a new report.
According to the ‘2023 World Air Quality Report’, only seven of the 134 countries and areas surveyed in the report - Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand - have met a World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limit for microscopic airborne particles ejected by automobiles, trucks, and industrial operations.
These particles, known as PM2.5, can cause a variety of health issues and even death, when inhaled.
According to the IQAir research, Pakistan is reported the most polluted country, with PM2.5 levels more than 14 times higher than the WHO threshold, followed by India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso.
Canada, long thought to have some of the cleanest air in the Western world, became the worst for PM2.5 last year as a result of record wildfires that spreaded toxic smoke over the country and over to the United States.
"Unfortunately, things have gone backwards," said Glory Dolphin Hammes, IQAir's North America CEO.
“The science is pretty clear about the impacts of air pollution and yet we are so accustomed to having a background level of pollution that’s too high to be healthy. We are not making adjustments fast enough, ” the CEO added.
Air quality: Report finds only seven countries have met WHO quality standards
