9 Recommendations for Combating Air Pollution on World Environment Day

The United Nations has designated the theme of World Environment Day on 5 June this year as 'Air Pollution'. Noting that we are all responsible for air pollution, Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Faculty Member and President of the Sustainable Production and Consumption Association (SÜT-D) Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu drew attention to the steps everyone must take under the slogan 'Beat Air Pollution'. Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu: "In 2016, 91 percent of the world's population could not breathe clean air. More than half of the urban population is affected by outdoor air pollution at least 2.5 times higher than safety standard values. Air pollution worldwide causes one in every nine deaths. In 2016, dirty air indoors and outdoors caused approximately 7 million deaths. Every year, 700 children worldwide lose their lives due to indoor air pollution." he said. Stating that air pollution can be caused by both natural and human sources, Prof. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu said that humans cause the greatest damage to the air. In agriculture, industry, transportation, waste management, and even at home while heating, cooking and grooming, Prof. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu explained that we pollute our air with the products we use, and pointed out that as a result we live with the threat of harmful inhalable substances. The SÜT-D President stated that indoor and outdoor air pollution is important for our health and quality of life, emphasizing that if we do not breathe clean air our resistance will decrease and we will become fatigued, and we will also be exposed to serious respiratory, eye, heart and cancer diseases, and for this reason everyone needs to be part of the solution. Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu made the following recommendations within the 'Beat Air Pollution' slogan established by SÜT-D:

1. We should be careful when choosing the fuels and combustion systems we use for heating and cooking. We should keep our chimneys clean. If heating and cooking through combustion is done under technically inappropriate conditions in the indoor spaces where we live and work, it creates carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbon and particulate pollution.
2. We should have regular maintenance of boilers and air conditioners in our homes.
3. With proper insulation in our buildings, it is possible to use less fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, keeping warm in winter and cool in summer. Choose our building materials suitable for a healthy environment, especially insulation.
4. Volatile organic compounds found in many products we use such as synthetic furniture, flooring, paints, insecticides, acetone, deodorants and hair spray, pollute indoor air; causing odours, moisture, stale air and even stuffiness, threatening household health. We should pay attention to the contents and quality of the products we use when purchasing.
5. In our urbanization plans, the priority should be for our cities to breathe and for air circulation. Construction should not trap our air.
6. Dirty gases coming from industrial facilities and thermal power plant chimneys are among the major causes of air pollution. Facilities should clean chimney gases according to the best available technology and should not spread pollutants.
7. Exhaust gases from transportation cause air pollution. We should maintain our vehicles well and develop ourselves to be ecological drivers consuming less fuel. Whenever possible, we should prefer walking, bicycling and public transport to ease the burden on both our wallets and the air pollution we cause.
8. We should increase our green spaces and care for every shade of green for our breath and breathing.
9. Fires are also a major factor in air pollution. For this reason, as we enter the summer months, we should be very careful in our forest areas to protect the greenery, air and our health.