A 2022 editorial in The Lancet, one of the oldest and highest-impact general medical journals in the world, said “air pollution remains one of the biggest and most immediate threats to human health, leading to millions of premature deaths each year and the loss of millions more healthy years of life”.
Outgoing medical union boss Martin Balzan is a respiratory diseases specialist. In an interview with Times of Malta, he argues that we have among the highest asthma rates in the world. Balzan insists that cars are the primary cause of pollutants in the air we breathe.
Various epidemiologic studies confirm that traffic-related air pollution, nitrogen dioxide, micro rubber particles and car exhaust exposures represent significant factors for asthma development, especially in children.
Exposure to outdoor pollutants can induce asthma symptoms, exacerbations and decrease lung function.
Other pollutants include second-hand smoke, Sahara desert and construction-related dust, moulds, certain non-indigenous trees that produce high levels of pollen, weather conditions like sandstorms and the effects of climate change. Even if Malta’s incidence of asthma is not exceptionally high compared to some large European cities, medical policymakers must act with determination to reduce the risk that pollutants impose on the air we breathe.
Balzan is understandably sceptical about how fast introducing electric cars can resolve a big part of our air pollution challenge. Hundreds of fossil fuel cars are increasing on our roads every month.
There is little evidence that the government has any effective action plan to reduce the number of cars on our roads.
In 2021, the World Health Organisation revised its Global Air Quality Guidelines, recommending stricter pollution limits to protect health. Our medical authorities must now take the initiative to help ordinary people adopt practices that mitigate the health risk of breathing polluted air.
Educational campaigns are the most effective tools to bring about behavioural change in the community.
While many acknowledge the importance of exercising to improve their health, they must be advised to avoid strenuous physical activity outside when the air quality is bad.
This measure will not be easy to implement as heavy road traffic has become an almost day-long reality in most parts of the country.
Air quality reports could help to warn people when air quality in particular areas reaches dangerous levels so that they become aware of the risks of exercising outdoors at such times.
Stricter regulations and better educational tools are also necessary to control air quality in offices and homes. Pets, dust, smoke, gas-fired furnaces and aerosol cleaning products are some sources of poor indoor quality.
People should be encouraged and incentivised to install air filters in their homes to eliminate these irritants and clean the air they breathe. Equally important, awareness must be raised about the risks that mould and mildew in houses pose for our respiratory health.
A lot of local air pollution is created by rapid acceleration when people put their foot on the accelerator.
Slower speed limits may seem inconvenient, but they can help smooth hour traffic and cut some of the pollution from fast accelerations.
Ultimately, the most effective way to improve the air we breathe is to have a credible action plan to reduce traffic, enforce anti-pollution driving regulations and improve public transport options.
Over the past two decades, notable strides have been made in reducing pollution from various sources.
However, policymakers must take that further step resolve to tackle the most evident sources of air pollution, even when such decisions prove unpopular. This requires a strong political will to prioritise environmental health, despite the possible public resistance.