The most polluted country in the world

Not a single country met the World Health Organization's guidelines for air quality in 2021, a new study suggested. And consequently, millions are breathing polluted air that does not satisfy WHO health standards, according to the report that analyzed real-time air quality of 6,475 cities. 

Only 222 cities have the average air quality that met WHO's standard, according to the study conducted by IQAir, a Swiss pollution technology company that monitors air quality. 

The data was collected by tens of thousands of ground-level regulatory air quality monitoring stations operated by governments, non-profit organizations, research institutions, educational facilities, companies and citizen scientists around the world.

The WHO's standard is that average annual readings of hazardous airborne particles (PM2.5) not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter. 

Air pollution is considered the largest environmental threat, leading to 7 million deaths per year and other respiratory problems such as asthma and lung cancer, the report stated. Exposure to PM2.5 increases both the risk of contracting COVID-19 and of suffering more severe symptoms when infected.

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Bangladesh was the most polluted country, while New Delhi, India, is the world's most polluted capital. The countries with the worst air pollution were India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, all exceeding WHO guidelines by 10 times. 

Conversely, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom ranked among the best countries for air quality, only exceeding the guidelines by 1 to 2 times.

However. the report does not offer the bigger picture. "As the ambient air is a complex mixture and this report is based exclusively on the levels of PM2.5, (it) does not provide a complete picture of air quality and contributions from other gaseous pollutants," Dr. Sri Nadadur, Ph.D, program director overseeing air pollution studies  National Institute of Environmental Health Science told USA TODAY. 

Factors that have affected U.S. air pollution are wildfires and dependence on fossil fuels, according to the air quality report. In the U.S., the city with the worst pollution was Los Angeles. 

Lower-income communities in the U.S. are the ones that suffer the most burdens from air pollution, the IQAir report summary stated. 

"We've got the report, we can read it, we can internalize it and really devote ourselves to taking action," Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of IQAir North America, told CNN. "There needs to be a major move toward renewable energy. We need to take drastic action in order to reverse the tide of global warming; otherwise, the impact and the train that we're on (would be) irreversible." 

The top 10 best air quality countries or regions 

1. New Caledonia
2. U.S Virgin Islands
3. Puerto Rico 
4. Cape Verde
5. Saba
6. Finland
7. Grenada 
8. Bahamas
9. Australia
10. Estonia

The top 10 worst air quality countries or regions

1. Bangladesh 
2. Chad
3. Pakistan
4. Tajikistan 
5. India
6. Oman
7. Kyrgyzstan 
8. Bahrain
9. Iraq
10. Nepal

Emissions of greenhouse gases of human origin are the main cause of climate change. Their effects on global warming are devastating and it is becoming more and more urgent that these emissions are reduced to stop humans from exercising so much pressure on the planet. The situation is so critical that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast an increase in emissions of 130% by 2050 if we continue unabated.

The most polluting countries seem to be aware they must reduce their emissions, but, despite agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, these carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise. To a greater or lesser extent, almost all the world’s countries are responsible for the high level of global pollution, but there are five that stand out from the rest, as shown below:

These are the 5 most polluting countries on the planet. Surprised by any?

1. China (30%)

The world’s most populated country has an enormous export market, which has seen its industry grow to become a serious danger to the planet. In just five provinces, which that host most of these industries ,more dioxide is emitted than in any other country in the world. As a consequence, Beijing has experienced, in recent years, constant red alerts for environmental pollution.

2. United States (15%)

The world’s biggest industrial and commercial power. Although in recent times it has led the most important initiatives to combat climate change, in practice the great majority have been shown to be insufficient. Neither are its pollution levels limited to big cities; many rural areas are also beginning to notice the consequences.

3. India (7%)

Fourteen out of the world’s 15 most contaminated cities are in India, says the World Health Organization. The country has had a law protecting air quality since 1981, but the burning of fossil fuels has grown significantly and as a consequence India occupies third place in the ranking of the most polluting countries in the world.

4. Russia (5%)

The biggest country in the world geographically appears in this ranking for its high dependence on products such as oil, coal, gas and fossil fuels. Also, in the past few decades, it has experienced several environmental emergencies and has high levels of deforestation and animal hunting.

5. Japan (4%)

Finally, the other great Asian power after China completes the list. Japan is the biggest consumer of fossil fuels in the world and the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases. This situation is due to its high level of urban development and industry that seems to care little for nature.

Sources: UNHCR, World Bank and The Times of India.

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