Celebrated every year on August 5, World Clean Breath Day is commemorated with various events around the world to draw attention to the importance of respiratory health and raise awareness about the negative effects of air pollution.

According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 90 percent of the world's population breathes polluted air, leading to more than 7 million premature deaths each year.

People living in big cities in particular face serious health problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer due to exposure to high levels of harmful particulate matter from industrial activities and vehicle traffic.

Recent studies in Türkiye have shown that air quality in major metropolitan areas such as Istanbul and Ankara is above the limit values and a large proportion of the population is living in unhealthy air conditions. World Clean Breath Day is a critical platform to draw attention to this important public health issue and encourage the implementation of clean air policies.

Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, Head of the Department of Chest Diseases at Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine, gave information on the effects of air pollution on health, underlining that pollution reduces human life expectancy by 3-5 years on average.

Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya drew attention to the importance of World Clean Breath Day and said, “Life begins with breathing and continues with breathing. With our lungs, we inhale the atmospheric air in the external environment to provide the oxygen needed by the heart, brain and other organs with each breath. In this atmospheric air, we take not only oxygen but also dust, particles and other pollutants into our lungs.” Prof. Dr. Özkaya stated that a person breathes in and out about 20,000 times a day and breathes about 10,000 liters of air in this process, pointing out how critical it is for health to breathe clean air.

Şevket Özkaya also said that according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 99 percent of the world's population breathes polluted air that exceeds the guideline limits, “This leads to the death of more than 7.5 million people every year. Air pollution is defined as a global threat that plays a role in the pathogenesis of respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological and endocrinological diseases. WHO reports that a 10 µg/m³ increase in annual PM2.5 concentration increases the overall mortality rate among adults by 6 percent."

Prof. Dr. Özkaya explained the wide-ranging effects of air pollution on health as follows:

“Air pollution causes many serious health problems, from respiratory diseases to heart disease, neurological disorders, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. There is also research showing that chronic exposure causes obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. In addition, epidemiologic studies show that air pollution increases upper airway symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, laryngospasm and lower respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and wheezing. Serious health problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, congestive heart failure and stroke are among the main causes of mortality and morbidity from air pollution."

Özkaya also gave information about the “Sick Building Syndrome”, which has been identified in the employees of the new age, and stated that indoor air pollution in closed offices or homes causes various health problems. Stating that the symptoms of this syndrome include headache, irritation in the eyes, nose and throat, dry cough, dizziness, difficulty concentrating and fatigue, Özkaya said, “Sick Building

Syndrome can be caused by factors such as inadequate ventilation, malfunctioning heating and air conditioning systems.”

Reminding that although building occupants usually experience relief from their symptoms after leaving the building, long-term exposure can lead to permanent effects of neurotoxins, Prof. Dr. Özkaya emphasized that this syndrome is especially common among closed office workers. Touching on the negative effects of polluted air on children's health, Prof. Özkaya continued his words as follows:

"A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004) revealed how air pollution in southern California damages children's lungs. It was found that children exposed to air pollution at the age of development had significantly reduced lung capacity at the age of 18. Although the use of coal for heating has decreased in cities with the widespread use of natural gas in our country, coal, dung and combustible materials such as tandoori ovens for cooking at home are still used for heating, especially in rural areas. This pollutes the air we breathe both inside and outside the home and causes us to get sick.

A 2013 study in China showed that life expectancy in the northern regions where coal is widely used is 5 years shorter than in the south where coal is not used for heating. In 2015, the Indian government announced that air pollution had caused 35,000 deaths in the last 9 years, and epidemiologists reported that air pollution in India shortened life expectancy by about 3 years."

Prof. Dr. Özkaya from Altınbaş University emphasized the importance of monitoring indoor and outdoor air quality and said, “We recommend that you closely monitor the indoor and outdoor air quality you breathe for your children, the elderly and yourself and plan your life according to the regular air pollution measurements made by the meteorology on the occasion of this awareness day.”