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  • Essay / Air Pollution in Pakistan - 1441

    Suhani Shah 1As Dan Quayle said: “It is not pollution that harms the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that do this. In today's society, many people suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as respiratory complications or lung diseases. Not only does air pollution cause diseases that people suffer from, but it also affects the natural habitat and the animals that live there. In particular, air pollution affects China, India and Pakistan the most, causing them more serious problems. Air pollution poses a threat to many people living in third world countries. China is the most populous country in the world. Due to the large number of people living in the country, it has changed the country economically. All of these factors can only contribute to increasing air pollution, which is rapidly warming our planet. Pakistan is another place affected by air pollution. Pakistan has many air pollutants present in indoor air as well. 70% of Pakistanis rely on biomass fuels such as wood, electricity and kerosene (Colbeck, Nasir and Ali 1189). Due to indoor air pollution, rates of poor health have been high over the past 60 years (Colbeck, Nasir, and Ali 1189). In the late 1900s, maternal mortality rates declined by 800 deaths per 100,000 and infant mortality rates by 142 per 1,000 live births (Colbeck, Nasir, and Ali 1189). These results tell us that indoor air pollution as well as outdoor air pollution were affected by respiratory problems. These problems arise because many people in Pakistan are not aware of air pollution. These respiratory problems occurring mainly in women and children are also caused by indoor smoking. Women spend most of their time cooking near the stove and children playing outside (Colbeck, Nasir and Ali 1193). Quetta, one of the polluted cities, had reached life-threatening situations due to air pollution created by vehicles emitting harmful oxidants into the air (Ilyas, Khattak, Nasir, Qurashi and Durrani 298). Due to the use of automobile, which produces O3 (a certain type of chemical gas) which was caused by photochemical reactions has also been a major factor which has a negative impact on chemical reactions (llyas, Khattak, Nassir, Quarshi, Durrani 291). Just like India, Pakistan also uses biomass fuels