Log in to the Airly Data Platform
Airly Map
We are living in times when air pollution is becoming an acute problem. The air quality in major cities drops constantly and not enough measures are taken to prevent that. We aim to raise air pollution awareness, therefore in this article we will focus on answering the following question: how does air pollution affect communities? We encourage you to read on.
How does air pollution affect our communities?
There are numerous negative effects of air pollution to the communities that we live in. We have divided them into categories for easier navigation. So, what is the impact of low-quality air on us?
Health issues
The first aspect that has to be tackled while discussing how air pollution affects the communities, is its effect on healthcare. Low-quality air is the cause of numerous respiratory problems. This has a direct and indirect impact: the former is that more people suffer from such conditions; the latter is that there are fewer beds available in healthcare facilities, since more people need them. As a result, the healthcare system becomes ineffective.
Higher energy costs
Another way, how air pollution affects communities, is through the energy costs. Each community member will feel the side effects of low air quality through their energy bills. Particles and pollutants damage the equipment in the energy production chain, leading to higher costs for the companies operating in this industry. These are then transferred to the citizens in the form of higher bills.
Lower crops and food deficiency
We have already described how air pollution affects crops and food security. But what does it mean for communities? Namely, less food available on the market, thus higher prices. It’s a blow both to the local farmers and all members of the community – the former will earn significantly less, while the latter will have to spend more. It might also mean importing food from different regions or even countries, leading to it being of a lower quality.
Final thoughts
If you were wondering how does air pollution affect your community, now you know it. Low air-quality leads to an overall increase in energy and food prizes, while rendering the healthcare system ineffective. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce measures that will reduce the number of pollutants in the air. In this case, we suggest our solutions for communities – an end-to-end system to battle air pollution.