Air quality > Indirect health effects

Indirect health effects

More than a billion people may face fresh-water shortages by 2050.

Acidification and health
The mobility of many metals increases in acid environments. The average levels of cadmium in groundwater have, for example, been shown to be three times higher in water with a pH value under 5, compared with water that has a pH above 6. The cadmium uptake of crops also rises when the pH of the soil drops. The concentrations of cadmium that parts of the population are exposed to are already close to the levels at which kidney damage can occur. Cadmium is also suspected of giving rise to bone embrittlement at relatively low exposures.

Human exposure to other toxic metals, such as aluminium and mercury, also increases in acidic environments.

Climate and health
If the climate gets warmer it also affects our health. Even if the mean temperature during the year rises just a few degrees it could mean that there are several times as many very hot days.

Many researchers fear that a warmer climate will lead to more extreme weather conditions. This would also mean more injuries and deaths due to flooding, hurricanes, etc., as well as extensive property damage.

Another expected effect of a warmer climate is the wider occurrence of diseases that are spread by insects and various parasites, e.g. malaria and bilharzia, since the parasites and their hosts can extend their habitats.

A warmer climate can also give rise to more cases of food poisoning and water poisoning, since living conditions would be more favourable for bacteria and parasites.

The availability of drinking water, food, housing and opportunities to earn a living are naturally of central importance to people's health, and these necessities may be more difficult to obtain if the climate changes.

Reductions in meltwater runoff from mountain glaciers may mean reduced access to water in large areas, with negative effects on more than a billion people by the year 2050. Rising sea levels will cause severe flooding along coastlines, especially in the densely populated mega-deltas.

In general it is those who are already poor who are expected to be worst hit by climate change, since they have the least resources to take preventive action and counter measures.

Air Pollution & Climate Secretariat, Box 7005, SE-402 31 Göteborg, Sweden.
Phone. +46-31-711 45 15, Fax +46-31-711 46 20, info@airclim.org

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