Evaluation Every sixth death worldwide caused by pollution

More and more people are dying from the consequences of environmental pollution

Pollution is rapidly increasing in many countries around the world. There is more and more particulate matter in the air, pollutants in the soil and impurities in the water. Researchers have now discovered that every sixth death in the world is now the result of pollution.

A team of scientists found in a large international study that the consequences of global pollution are leading to more and more deaths. At present, every sixth death is due to environmental pollutants. The experts published the results of their study in the journal "The Lancet".

Pollution continues to increase throughout the world. The polluted environment has a negative impact on human health. Physicians found that today every sixth death is due to the effects of pollution. (Image: ebenart / fotolia.com)

Heart disease, strokes and lung disease cost the lives of many people in particular

The latest international study found that in 2015 alone, approximately nine million premature deaths were related to rising levels of environmental pollution. The most common causes of death were mainly heart disease, strokes and lung disease, say the authors.

Air pollution is responsible for most deaths

The results of the researchers indicate that harmful pollution in Germany was involved in the deaths of more than 62,000 people during this time. This would mean that about every fifteen deaths was related to pollution. According to the scientists, 44,000 of these deaths recorded in Germany were due to the pollution of the outside air. These figures show that experts and politicians urgently need to take action to improve the current situation.

Indoor air pollution is particularly dangerous

Indoor air pollution seems to be particularly dangerous. Such air pollution arises, for example, when heated and cooked with an open fire. Indoor air pollution in 2015 was associated with 6.5 million of the total of nine million deaths, say the experts. Such a burden on the air in the interior spaces particularly favor cardiovascular and lung diseases.

Contaminated water and pollutants at the workplace are other risk factors

Another problem was the pollution of water. About 1.8 million people died as a result of polluted water, which led to parasite infestation or digestive problems. Another 1.3 million deaths were due to workplace pollutants and lead poisoning.

Actual number of deaths from pollution is probably much higher

Many pollutants that are dangerous to humans are currently unknown or potential health effects have not been researched so far. For this reason, scientists believe that the actual numbers of fatalities associated with pollution could be much higher.

Developing countries are particularly affected

The results of the study also show that 92 percent of environmental pollution deaths occurred in developing and emerging countries. In some countries, the deadly effects of pollution are particularly strong. In India and Bangladesh, one in four deaths is due to the dangerous pollution of the environment. But even in countries like China and Kenya, every fifth death is related to the polluted environment, the authors explain.

Most of the time, poor people suffer from environmental pollution

Unfortunately, the effects of pollution most often affect the poorest people in the world. The study shows this with the example of a Roma refugee camp in Kosovo. This was built according to the experts in an area where previously the toxic waste of a lead mine were stored. Especially destitute people can not defend themselves against the increased burden, their complaints are usually not noticed and those affected often do not have the opportunity to move. Pollution and its associated diseases often affect the world's poorest people, and those victims are most vulnerable, explains author Karti Sandilya.

Pollution affects every country

The report shows that no country is spared from environmental pollution. There are several human activities that drive global pollution. These include, for example, industrialization, urbanization and globalization. The scientists calculated in their investigation that there is an annual rate of 75 environmental deaths per 100,000 people in Germany.

Examples of the effects of pollution in different countries

Certainly, the question now arises whether there are also countries in which the environmental impact is much lower. The lowest levels in international comparison were in Moldova (four deaths per 100,000 people) and Brunei (nine deaths per 100,000 people). By contrast, there were very high death rates from pollution in the Central African Republic. There were 304 deaths per 100,000 people due to pollution of the environment. In Lesotho, there were 227 deaths per 100,000 people and in Afghanistan the figure was 212 deaths per 100,000 people, the researchers explain. (As)