THE GROWING THREAT OF SMOG AND AIR POLLUTION IN PAKISTAN: IMPACTS ON RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Abstract

High levels of pollution, particularly particulate matter in the Punjab region have led to one of the largest environmental catastrophes in the history of Pakistan. This review aims to synthesize the recent epidemiological, spatial and econometric studies published in peer-reviewed journals to critically discuss the multifaceted effects of air pollution on human health, particularly focusing on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Due to the high rates of urbanization, the lack of control over industrial pollution and the practice of burning crop residues the air quality in the region is extremely poor beyond the acceptable limits set by the WHO. Recent epidemiological data indicates that there is a strong statistically significant correlation between smog exposure and an increased incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, ischemic heart disease and hypertension. Clinical cross-sectional studies have proven that fine particulate matter has a significant effect on hematological parameters, increasing white blood cell count and total cholesterol, and simultaneously decreasing pulmonary functions such as Forced Vital Capacity and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second. In addition, anthropogenic pollution sources and climate changes have significantly increased the frequency, severity and duration of winter smog through mechanisms such as thermal inversion and urban heat islands. Moreover, an exhaustive economic analysis using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model showed that the healthcare costs of pollution are putting an unbearable strain on Pakistan’s GDP. This strain is exacerbated by the lack of institutional governance. This review aims to highlight the pressing need for effective solutions to the issues faced in the energy sector, ranging from clean energy to cross-border policies by comparing the findings of several studies.