Air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death in China

ArabiaWeather.com – An industrial revolution, abnormal population growth, and unprecedented air pollution as a result of its saturation with fumes and toxic gases produced by car exhausts and factory fumes, is a real dilemma that awaits the lives of millions of Chinese residents.

After an unprecedented wave of polluted fog enveloped the capital, Beijing, at the beginning of this week, the concerned authorities were forced to sound the alarm and raise the warning level to red. Schools and government and private institutions have suspended their hours for fear of the safety of students and staff.

Topography and its role in exacerbating the problem

In view of the reasons for the concentration of polluted air over the capital, Beijing, we find that the main reason is due to a continuous interruption in the air flow towards the city, as it is surrounded by mountains from all sides,

Shocking numbers

Reports issued by the Chinese Ministry of Health indicate that air pollution has become the fourth cause of death in China, as the ministry recorded the death of one million two hundred people in 2010 AD, as a result of various respiratory diseases, including lung cancer.

Direct effects on health

The current pollution rates have severe negative effects on human health in general and children in particular, as medical reports indicate that the current pollution rates can cause permanent damage to the lungs, especially in children.

In the face of the unprecedented pollution the country is facing, parents have been forced to prevent their children from playing outside the house or in its outdoor yard, in order to reduce the negative health effects of pollution on children's lungs.

And some schools had taken exceptional measures prior to the past years by securing places for children to play, such as the Beijing International School - which built huge closed halls whose air is purified, so that children can have their daily recreation.