Going GREEN iSCHOOL
An Advocacy Promoting Environmental Health and Sanitation in School
Air Quality Monitoring
WHO Fact Sheet on Air Pollution
Air quality is a measure that indicates how well the air that we breathe. The air that we breathe is a mixture of different gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, water, argon, carbon dioxide and trace gases.
An average adult uses about 550 liters of pure oxygen per day and 11,000 liters of air in a day. If the air is polluted and we constantly inhale them, it can affect our health tremendously.
Air Quality and Health
The World Health Organization released a fact sheet on September 2011 in relation to air pollution.
Key facts
• Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, we can help countries reduce the global burden of disease from respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), monitors air quality in the Philippines to gather information for formulating an efficient and comprehensive air pollution management and control program. Air quality monitoring stations are located around the country. Several stations are in Metro Manila, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City.
In 2004 the Department of Health published a report on Public Health Monitoring: A Study under the Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program, with the following findings:
♦ Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone are pollutants of serious health concern in Metro Manila;
To address the issues on air pollution, the government, NGO, private sector and international development community launched different programs that raise public awareness and activities dedicated to air quality improvement.
DOH Report on Public Health Monitoring
Public Awareness Programs
