The world deals with so much pollution: air, water, plastic, land, light, noise, etc. 3.6 million people, on average, die from pollution. In the year 2020, there were at least 237,00 deaths of children under 5 years old, according to the World Health Organization. This number increases every year. In 2023, 570,000 deaths of children under the age of 5 were caused by pollution. However, over the years, more deaths are caused by air pollution.
In 2022 alone, 66 million tons of air pollution were released in the U.S., reports the Environmental Protection Agency. Every year, 8 million Americans die from air pollution. While the entirety of the U.S. is infested with air pollution, California struggles the most. The three main cities that have the most air pollution are Bakersfield, Madera, and Fresno. Bakersfield’s air pollution derives from the dust caused by farming operations. Fresno’s pollution is caused by the carbon dioxide that comes out of the exhaust of big trucks. As a result of all these high rates of pollution and their negative effects on people’s health, the U.S. has been trying to decrease air pollution.
The U.S. has been trying to get rid of toxic emissions by increasing access to public transportation. Fewer cars are on the road and fewer toxins are in the air. Cars release nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, benzene, and formaldehyde. The Clean Air Act was passed in 1963. The Act established federal standards for mobile sources of air pollution and their fuels and for sources of 187 hazardous air pollutants. This is one way the U.S. plans to get rid of some toxic emissions.
Not only does the U.S. have this issue but Russia deals with high levels of air pollution as well. In Russia, approximately 40,000 people die a year due to fatal cancer caused by air pollution, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. Lung cancer is the main type that people are diagnosed with. Russia is trying to mitigate these deaths by encouraging its citizens to use more public transportation. They want them to use public transportation because cars cause air pollution due to the toxic fumes it emits. Russia is also changing their gas transportation to electric. There are already 1,000 electric buses in Moscow. By doing this, it will decrease the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air, decreasing air pollution.
Air pollution is very dangerous and it is not something to disregard. If people don’t take air pollution seriously, it may affect us with fatal health conditions such as lung disease, cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases result in breathing difficulties and airflow obstruction. Heart disease may lead to death and lung cancer travels to the brain and can spread into the bones causing horrific pain.
The U.S. needs to be more concerned about their health because anyone can get sick from pollution, even when we least expect it. 
