WHO: Air pollution kills about 7 million worldwide every year

Baku. 22 October. REPORT.AZ/ Air pollution kills about 7 million people worldwide every year, with more than half of the fatalities due to fumes from indoor stoves, Report informs referring to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The agency said air pollution caused about one in eight deaths and had now become the single biggest environmental health risk.

"We all have to breathe, which makes pollution very hard to avoid," said Frank Kelly, director of the environmental research group at King's College London, who was not part of the WHO report.

One of the main risks of pollution is that tiny particles can get deep into the lungs, causing irritation. Scientists also suspect air pollution may be to blame for inflammation in the heart, leading to chronic problems or a heart attack.

WHO estimated that there were about 4.3 million deaths caused by indoor air pollution. WHO said there were about 3.7 million deaths from outdoor air pollution, of which nearly 90% were in developing countries.

In addition, if the necessary measures are taken to prevent the contamination of air, up to 2050 may reduce the deaths of up to 2 million people.