We show you how to protect yourself from city pollution
We don't want to scare you but according to a recent study, if you spend a year in London the pollution you’ll be exposed to has the same effect as smoking 251 cigarettes! In 2014, for the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population were living in cities. By 2050, it’s estimated that another 2.5 billion of us will be city dwellers. There are many amazing benefits to living in a city, but fresh air isn’t one of them.
What is city air doing to us?
City living can have very real consequences for our health. The UK government has stated that poor air quality in our country is the largest environmental risk to our public health. Scientists now think that air pollution is responsible for a number of chronic problems and have shown that the microscopic particles can interfere with our DNA. The pollutants we inhale can impact our respiratory health, straining our lungs and our ability to intake oxygen. Interestingly, research is now also beginning to show that beyond these physical implications, poor air quality can also have an affect our happiness and optimism.
How can we protect ourselves from pollution?
If a country cottage by the sea isn’t an option right now, there’s still plenty you can do to avoid or reduce the effects of air pollution.