Is Air Pollution And Climate Change Affecting Your Health?

Air pollution is a major environmental health problem globally. From respiratory diseases to cardiovascular conditions, prolonged exposure to polluted air can have serious health consequences.

Climate change is amplifying these risks. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental shifts are affecting air quality and increasing health concerns worldwide. In this article, we explore how changes in our atmosphere – from air quality, to UV light and global temperatures – are affecting our long-term health, and what this might mean for you.

In this article

• How and why is air quality changing
• How does air pollution contribute to climate change?
• How does air pollution affect me?
• What can we do about air pollution?

How air pollution and climate change are impacting our health

The way we breathe is changing. As towns and cities around the world become ever-more congested, we are increasingly breathing in airborne pollutants such as methane and black carbon.

The combination of these short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) contribute both to our own declining health, and to climate change (and it’s double jeopardy, since climate change further affects our health).

Where are the most polluted cities and countries?

In 2023, the 10 most polluted cities on earth according to the real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) were:

Rank

City

Country

2023 yearly average AQI*

2023 highest monthly AQI

1

Begusarai

India

223

413

2

Patna

India

212

402

3

Saharsa

India

207

418

4

New Delhi

India

205

405

5

Noida

India

201

367

6

Kashgar

China

197

355

7

Ghaziabad

India

190

360

8

Faridabad

India

186

356

9

Aksu

China

185

412

10

Purnea

India

182

398

Source: Air Quality Index

Why do you need international health insurance abroad?

Here’s everything you need to know about health insurance

Meanwhile, the 10 most polluted countries overall in 2023 were:

Rank

Country

2023 yearly average AQI*

1

Bangladesh

161

2

Chad

147

3

Kuwait

95

4

India

84

5

Pakistan

79

6

Egypt

76

7

Mali

75

8

Rwanda

74

9

United Arab Emirates

71

10

Laos

70

Source: Air Quality Index

* The AQI (Air Quality Index) measures the total density of pollutants in the air, including carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and particulates. A higher score indicates more pollutants in the air.

It’s important to think about the quality of healthcare

We look at countries with the best healthcare in the world

How and why is air quality changing?

Global air quality is worse than ever. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost everyone – 99% of the world – lives in an area that falls below air quality limits. In 2020, air pollution was directly responsible for 3.2 million deaths worldwide.

What is air pollution?

Air pollution is an accumulation of particulates in the atmosphere that are harmful to human beings. Air pollution is measured by determining the density of these particulates within a set volume. The higher the concentration of pollutants, the more polluted the air.

There is no single type of air pollutant. Any particulate that can be carried by air and breathed in by a human can be considered air pollution, and some pollutants are deadlier than others. They may include:

• Carbon monoxide (CO): a colourless, odourless gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based matter. CO quickly diffuses into our systems, preventing our body’s cells from binding to oxygen. It can be deadly in large concentrations or produce a range of symptoms and illnesses over long exposures.
• Nitrogen oxides (NOX): in particular, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is released from the burning of fossil fuels, causes serious breathing problems and irritation, and can exacerbate the symptoms of asthma.
• Lead: lead particulates can be released from everyday products including paints, ceramics, gasoline, batteries and cosmetics. Lead is seriously toxic to young children and unborn foetuses, while in adults long-term exposure can experience cardiovascular problems, lower fertility and decreased kidney function.
• Ozone (O3): smog-like ozone is formed by the reaction of other air-based pollutants, especially carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. It is photochemical in nature, trapping ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which causes ambient temperatures to rise. It also contributes to breathing difficulties and lung disease.
• Methane: a colourless, odourless gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels, and from livestock and agricultural processes. It can displace atmospheric oxygen, and over long exposures contributes to health problems including cancer, central nervous system damage and birth defects.
• Sulphur dioxide (SO2): a colourless gas largely produced by the burning of fossil fuels. It is widely linked to hospital admissions for breathing difficulties, especially in asthmatics.
• Mould: appearing in areas of high moisture, mould spores enter the atmosphere and cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Long-term exposure to mould can cause health complications in asthmatic people and those with allergies.

Thinking about moving abroad?

Check out our list of the most-environmentally-friendly countries

What is causing air pollution?

To put it simply, it’s because the world is releasing more pollutants into the air than at any point in human history. This has to do with record levels of fossil fuel burning, as well as an ever-increasing range of pollutants entering circulation. 

Alongside fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) burned during home and industrial processes or from vehicles, sources of air pollution include:

• Wildfires: a historic 12 million hectares of land burned during 2023. Agricultural, heath and forest fires release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, and are only becoming more common as a result of climate change.
• Crop residues: pesticide spraying, ammonia and nitrogen-based fertiliser spreading, and other crop residues are key contributors to air pollution. Our use of pesticides and other agricultural sprays has been gradually increasing since 2000.
• Poor waste management: the world generates 2 billion tons of solid waste per year. Inadequate disposal of this waste is common in developing countries. Waste discarded in landfill releases greenhouse gases, while burning releases particulates into the air.
• Desert dust: sand, whipped up by high winds in desert areas, irritates and exacerbates conditions like asthma. Around 2 billion tons of sand enters the atmosphere every year, with high winds carrying these sands further than ever before.
• Others: increasing use of private vehicles, increasing urbanisation and increasing industrialisation are all touted as secondary factors (since they tend to be linked to fossil fuel consumption) in the declining quality of our air.

Want more expat content?
Subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter!

• Enter your email address
• Name
  This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How does air pollution contribute to climate change?

Many airborne pollutants are known as ‘greenhouse gases’. They are called this because they trap radiation from the sun inside the earth’s atmosphere. This causes the air to warm up, thus increasing the ambient temperature.

Not all greenhouse gases are bad. It’s thanks to greenhouse gases that Earth is a suitable temperature to support life. However, human activities have increased the density of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere to such a degree that they are directly responsible for the rapid warming of the earth.

Global temperatures have increased 1.3°C on average since the 1800s, and are expected to rise a further 2–4°C by 2100.

This process is known as climate change, or global warming. Climate change is an existential threat to life on earth, as it threatens to make the planet inhospitable. Air pollution in the form of greenhouses is just one of the many causes of climate change, but arguably the most significant – especially when coupled with other causes, such as deforestation (the fewer trees we have, the less carbon dioxide can be replenished as oxygen).

How is climate change affecting our health?

Climate change can affect our health indirectly through various channels. Whether by ruining harvests and decreasing the quality and availability of food, or by creating risks to our personal safety through increased instances of rainfall and flooding, it’s believed that as climate change continues life expectancy may soon fall by around six months.

And then there are the direct impacts on our health. As the planet heats up, episodes of heat-related illness (such as heatstroke, heat exhaustion and rhabdomyolysis) are becoming more common. The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record, with heatwaves experienced all around the world. One particularly harrowing episode occurred in Saudi Arabia, where 1,300 people died due to heat-related illness while taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage, after temperatures reached as high as 52°C.

Climate change also contributes to the increased spread of disease. As many as 58% of known diseases may be aggravated and accelerated by climate change, either directly (spreading faster and behaving more aggressively in warmer conditions) or indirectly (taking advantage of higher precipitation, flooding, etc. to spread faster).

One of the biggest immediate dangers is vector-borne illnesses, i.e. those spread by creatures, which include Lyme disease (spread by ticks) malaria and dengue (spread by mosquitoes). As the world heats up, the number of areas where disease-spreading creatures can survive is expanding, while increased rainfall is creating more areas of stagnant water that make perfect breeding grounds for them.

Different countries have varying health outlooks

We rank the best countries for living a long and healthy life

How does air pollution affect me?

Air pollution is a silent killer. Increased levels of air pollution have been linked to a variety of illnesses, including:

Lung diseases

Air pollution is linked to a variety of respiratory diseases including bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lower respiratory infections.

Heart diseases

Exposure to air pollution increases your risk of both chronic cardiac diseases and sudden cardiac events – including arrhythmia, heart attacks and ischemic heart disease.

Cancer

Various cancers – especially trachea, bronchus and lung cancers – have been linked to air pollution. Air pollution is believed to cause up to 29% of all lung cancer deaths.

Asthma

Not only does air pollution directly impact those living with asthma, it is also linked to a rising number of cases worldwide.

Stroke

As fine particulate matter makes it from the air into your bloodstream, it can clog your arteries, causing strokes.

Lower fertility

Studies have found that human fertility rates tend to be around 30% lower in areas of high air pollution.

Dementia

Recent research has suggested that long-term exposure to airborne particulates can increase a person’s risk of dementia, as well as other neurological diseases.

Depression

Researchers have found that people living in areas of high air pollution are more likely to experience depression, as well as other mental health disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia.

Liver and kidney diseases

When airborne particulates enter the bloodstream, they put stress on the liver and kidney. This increases the risk of fatty liver, kidney disease, and both kidney and liver cancer.

There may be many more diseases that can be either directly or indirectly attributed to air pollution. Research into the impacts of air pollution on human health is still ongoing.

What we do know is that no amount of air pollution is good for your long-term and short-term health, and that air pollution is linked to around 6.7 million premature deaths every year and directly involved in around 3.2 million deaths.

How do I know if I live in an area of high air pollution?

It’s important to know whether you will be moving to, or already live in an area of high air pollution. The real-time Air Quality Index can help you to see air pollution levels across various cities around the world. You can also purchase your own air quality monitors to test the air quality levels inside your home or place of work.

Which diseases are on the rise?

We look at diseases surging around the world

What can we do about air pollution?

There is no easy answer to solving the global air pollution crisis. Reducing levels of air pollution back to a safe level would require the world to stop most industrial and agricultural processes, transportation, and deforestation. All of this would amount to just one step in the race to reverse climate change.

Global political initiatives are heavily invested in trying to undo the impacts of climate change. The Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, better known as COP, is an annual meeting of leaders from around the world to discuss climate change priorities. Air pollution is a regular feature on the agenda. 

As a result, many cities and countries are already taking steps to implement changes that are intended to lower air pollution levels and stop the escalation of climate change. Some of these include:

Ultra Low Emission and Clean Air Zones in the UK

The Mayor of London has established an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) throughout all boroughs of the British capital. Vehicles may only drive in the ULEZ a certain number of times in a year, and drivers from outside the capital must pay a charge to drive their vehicles into London. The ULEZ has made London the world’s largest clean air zone, and helped to reduce air pollution across the city by up to 50%.

In response, many other cities in Britain have implemented similar schemes. These include: Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Southampton.

Breathe Warsaw

As the home to 36 of the European Union’s 50 most air polluted cities, Poland has started to take steps to combat poor air quality. One of their ambitious schemes is Breathe Warsaw, launched by the City of Warsaw, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Clean Air Fund. 

The scheme has manifested in the launch of a new low-emission zone, supporting the phasing-out of coal heating in homes, and a huge data-gathering initiative that has involved placing 165 new air sensors across the city. Warsaw’s aim is to reduce the number of premature deaths in the capital by 55% by 2030.

Green Bangkok 2030

After hundreds of schools were forced to close in 2020 when Bangkok’s air pollution reached dangerous levels, the city has decided not just to meet, but smash the goals set by the Paris Agreement.

The Royal Thai Government has set an ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30% by 2030, as well as reorganising the entire city to ensure 10sqm of green space per person, that any person can reach a green space within five minutes from their front door, and that the city has 30% tree coverage.

The first phase of the project will see the opening of 11 new parks and a 15km greenway. These will include outdoor gymnasiums and provide new transport links, encouraging people to walk rather than to take public transit.

Air pollution can affect your mental health too

Here’s how to look after your mental health while living abroad

Does air pollution affect my health insurance?

While living in an area with high air pollution may affect your health and life expectancy, it is not typically a factor health insurance companies consider when deciding your eligibility or the cost of your premiums. It is unlikely you will be denied health insurance simply because you live in an area known to have higher levels of air pollution.

However, if you live in an area of high air pollution, your health insurance may be affected in other ways. 

For one thing, you will be more likely to require a health insurance policy, as it is more likely you will develop diseases related to air pollution such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung cancer. This means you will also be more likely to make a claim over the course of your life. While your health insurance should cover you, remember that you will need to pay an excess for each new claim.

If you do develop chronic health problems related to air pollution, your health insurer may determine these to be pre-existing conditions. This could make it harder for you to change, upgrade, or take out a new health insurance policy.

Bear in mind that we can’t speak for all health insurance companies. Some insurers may collect data on air pollution (especially if they start to see a large number of air pollution-related claims coming out of one region) and charge a higher premium to members as a result. In time, it is likely that this practice will start to become more common.

Conclusion

Air pollution is a global crisis. Not only does it contribute to global warming, presenting an existential threat to all life on earth, it also contributes to a wide range of health complications.

Living in an area of high air pollution can impact your health in both the short-term and the long-term. There is no treatment for air pollution exposure. It can both lower our quality of life, and contribute to the development of fatal illnesses.

Many places around the world are taking steps to reduce air pollution, but in the meantime it is up to us as individuals to be vigilant and protect our own wellbeing. If you can, choose to live and work in an area with lower air pollution – the less you are exposed to air pollution, the less chance you have of developing an air pollution-related illness.

Some locations are more desirable than others for expats

Find out how expat populations are growing globally

Protect your health today

At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience providing international health insurance. Our policies offer you access to the best quality medical care all over the world, with flexible options to suit your needs.

Don’t take your health and well-being for granted. Find out more about our international health insurance policies and get a quote online in under two minutes today.

Looking for international health insurance?

Get a Quote