Air Pollution Responsible for Millions of Deaths Every Year: World Health Organization (WHO) Report

A report released Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that one in eight deaths were caused by toxic air in 2012 alone, with such pollutants as cooking fires and auto fumes contributing to the air pollution that affects roughly seven million lives worldwide.

"Air pollution, and we're talking about both indoors and outdoors, is now the biggest environmental health problem, and it's affecting everyone, both developed and developing countries," said Maria Neira, the WHO's public and environmental health chief.

Air pollution can greatly increase the risk of stroke and/or heart disease, as well as various respiratory infections and even lung cancer.

"Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe," she added, via the health organization. 

And though many of us might have thought of our home as a safe haven away from pollutants, researchers note that air pollution can occur both inside and outside. For example, it's estimated that 2.9 billion people live in a home where wood, coal or biomass is used as their primarily cooking fuel, and could potentially put tiny particles of soot into their lungs in poorly ventilated houses.

The WHO estimates that 4.3 million deaths in 2012 were linked to poor air quality, with woman and young children particularly vulnerable to this affect.

"Poor women and children pay a heavy price from indoor air pollution since they spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cook stoves," said Dr. Flavia Buestro, who works in the health of women and children through the WHO.

Low- and middle-income countries are affected the most, particularly those in South East Asia and the Western Pacific.

Areas that made recent headlines regarding air pollution include Paris and Beijing. According to The New York Times, Paris's air quality index took readings at 185-a level that's considered dangerous to overall health, and prompted a driving ban on half of the city's vehicles.

For Beijing, this consistent city problem is considered "hazardous," with recent 'yellow' and 'orange' warnings regarding pollutants.

To help out with this issue in these and other areas, researchers stress the importance of future policies to help combat the problem.