[caption id="attachment_90674" align="alignright" width="180"]
The file photo shows air pollution in Seoul, South Korea.[/caption]Air pollution contributed to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
In a report published on Tuesday, the United Nations health agency said that polluted air is the cause of about one in eight deaths and has now become the single biggest environmental health risk.
Air pollution-related deaths are most commonly from heart disease, strokes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is also linked to deaths from lung cancer and acute respiratory infections, it added.
Maria Neira, head of the WHO's environmental and social public health department, warned against the risks from air pollution, saying they are now far greater than previously thought.
The evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe, she added.
The body says developing and emerging countries in Southern Asia, South East Asia and East Asia are mostly affected, with 3.3 million deaths linked to indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths to outdoor air pollution in 2012.
The WHO puts the blame on unsustainable policies in transport, energy and waste management sectors, as well as in industry.
The UN health body has urged governments and health agencies to devise appropriate policies to reduce risks caused by air pollution, especially for vulnerable children and the elderly.
Indoor pollution is mostly caused by cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves, while outdoor pollution is mainly due to transport, power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking.
By Press TV
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.
