Editing Pollution (section)

===Human health===
{{further|Soil pollution#Health effects|Toxic hotspots|List of pollution-related diseases|Air pollution#Health effects}}
[[File:Health effects of pollution.png|thumb|upright=1.6|Overview of main health effects on humans from some common types of pollution<ref>[http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/325 World Resources Institute: August 2008 Monthly Update: Air Pollution's Causes, Consequences and Solutions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501181320/http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/325 |date=1 May 2009 }} Submitted by Matt Kallman on Wed, 20 August 2008 18:22. Retrieved on 17 April 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.waterhealthconnection.org/chapter3.asp waterhealthconnection.org Overview of Waterborne Disease Trends] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905155251/http://www.waterhealthconnection.org/chapter3.asp |date=5 September 2008 }} By Patricia L. Meinhardt, MD, MPH, MA, Author. Retrieved on 16 April 2009</ref><ref>[http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uo198.pdf Pennsylvania State University &gt; Potential Health Effects of Pesticides.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811175133/http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uo198.pdf |date=11 August 2013 }} by Eric S. Lorenz. 2007.</ref>]]

Pollution affects humans in every part of the world. An October 2017 study by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health found that global pollution, specifically toxic air, water, soil and workplaces, kills nine million people annually, which is triple the number of deaths caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and 15 times higher than deaths caused by wars and other forms of human violence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stanglin |first=Doug |date=20 October 2017 |title=Global pollution is the world's biggest killer and a threat to survival of mankind, study finds |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/20/study-global-pollution-worlds-biggest-killer-and-threat-survival-mankind/783321001/ |access-date=20 October 2017}}</ref> The study concluded that "pollution is one of the great existential challenges of the [[Anthropocene]] era. Pollution endangers the stability of the Earth's support systems and threatens the continuing survival of human societies."<ref name="Carrington">{{cite news |last=Carrington |first=Damian |date=20 October 2017 |title=Global pollution kills 9m a year and threatens 'survival of human societies' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/19/global-pollution-kills-millions-threatens-survival-human-societies |access-date=20 October 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Adverse [[air quality]] can kill many organisms, including humans. Ozone pollution can cause [[respiratory disease]], [[cardiovascular disease]], [[throat]] inflammation, chest pain, and [[Nasal congestion|congestion]]. A 2010 analysis estimated that 1.2 million people died prematurely each year in [[People's Republic of China|China]] alone because of air pollution.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wong |first=Edward |date=1 April 2013 |title=Air Pollution Linked to 1.2 Million Deaths in China |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/asia/air-pollution-linked-to-1-2-million-deaths-in-china.html |access-date=1 December 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> China's high smog levels can damage the human body and cause various diseases.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maji |first1=Kamal Jyoti |last2=Arora |first2=Mohit |last3=Dikshit |first3=Anil Kumar |date=1 April 2017 |title=Burden of disease attributed to ambient PM2.5 and PM10 exposure in 190 cities in China |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research |language=en |volume=24 |issue=12 |pages=11559–11572 |doi=10.1007/s11356-017-8575-7 |issn=0944-1344 |pmid=28321701 |bibcode=2017ESPR...2411559M |s2cid=37640939}}</ref> In 2019, air pollution caused 1.67 million deaths in India (17.8% of total deaths nationally).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pandey |first1=Anamika |last2=Brauer |first2=Michael |last3=Cropper |first3=Maureen L |last4=Balakrishnan |first4=Kalpana |author-link4=Kalpana Balakrishnan |last5=Mathur |first5=Prashant |last6=Dey |first6=Sagnik |last7=Turkgulu |first7=Burak |last8=Kumar |first8=G Anil |last9=Khare |first9=Mukesh |last10=Beig |first10=Gufran |last11=Gupta |first11=Tarun |last12=Krishnankutty |first12=Rinu P |last13=Causey |first13=Kate |last14=Cohen |first14=Aaron J |last15=Bhargava |first15=Stuti |date=21 December 2020 |title=Health and economic impact of air pollution in the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30298-9 |journal=The Lancet Planetary Health |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=e25–e38 |doi=10.1016/s2542-5196(20)30298-9 |issn=2542-5196 |pmc=7805008 |pmid=33357500}}</ref> Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the United States could be over 50,000.<ref>{{cite web |author1=David |author2=Michael |author3=Caroline, Mindy |author4=Neil Franklin |author5=Vikas |title=Air Pollution – Effects |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/air_pollution_-_effects.html |access-date=26 August 2010 |publisher=Library.thinkquest.org |archive-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430113828/http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Environmental_Problems/air_pollution_-_effects.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A study published in 2022 in ''[[American Geophysical Union#Publications|GeoHealth]]'' concluded that energy-related fossil fuel emissions in the United States cause 46,900–59,400 premature deaths each year and PM2.5-related illness and death costs the nation $537–$678 billion annually.<ref name="GeoHealth_20220516">{{cite journal |last1=Mailloux |first1=Nicholas A. |last2=Abel |first2=David W. |last3=Holloway |first3=Tracey |last4=Patz |first4=Jonathan A. |date=16 May 2022 |title=Nationwide and Regional PM2.5-Related Air Quality Health Benefits From the Removal of Energy-Related Emissions in the United States |journal=GeoHealth |volume=6 |issue=5 |pages=e2022GH000603 |doi=10.1029/2022GH000603 |pmc=9109601 |pmid=35599962|bibcode=2022GHeal...6..603M }}</ref> In the US, deaths caused by coal pollution were highest in 1999, but decreased sharply after 2007. The number dropped by about 95% by 2020, as coal plants have been closed or have [[scrubbers]] installed.<ref name="News 2023 i191">{{cite web | title=Particulate pollution from coal associated with double the risk of mortality than PM2.5 from other sources | website=News | date=23 Nov 2023 | url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/particulate-pollution-from-coal-associated-with-double-the-risk-of-mortality-than-pm2-5-from-other-sources/ | access-date=10 Apr 2024}}</ref>

In 2019, [[water pollution]] caused 1.4 million premature deaths.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fuller |first1=Richard |last2=Landrigan |first2=Philip J |last3=Balakrishnan |first3=Kalpana |author-link3=Kalpana Balakrishnan |last4=Bathan |first4=Glynda |last5=Bose-O'Reilly |first5=Stephan |last6=Brauer |first6=Michael |last7=Caravanos |first7=Jack |last8=Chiles |first8=Tom |last9=Cohen |first9=Aaron |last10=Corra |first10=Lilian |last11=Cropper |first11=Maureen |last12=Ferraro |first12=Greg |last13=Hanna |first13=Jill |last14=Hanrahan |first14=David |last15=Hu |first15=Howard |date=June 2022 |title=Pollution and health: a progress update |journal=The Lancet Planetary Health |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=e535–e547 |doi=10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00090-0 |issn=2542-5196 |pmid=35594895 |doi-access=free|pmc=11995256 }}</ref> [[Water pollution|Contamination of drinking water]] by untreated [[sewage]] in [[developing countries]] is an issue, for example, over 732 million Indians (56% of the population) and over 92 million Ethiopians (92.9% of the population) do not have access to basic [[sanitation]].<ref>{{Cite journal |website=WaterAid |date=November 2017 |title=Out of Order – The State of the World's Toilets 2017 |url=https://www.wateraid.org/uk/sites/g/files/jkxoof211/files/Out%20of%20Order%20report%202017_0.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231207115250/https://www.wateraid.org/uk/sites/g/files/jkxoof211/files/Out%20of%20Order%20report%202017_0.pdf |archive-date= Dec 7, 2023 }}</ref> In 2013 over 10 million people in India fell ill with waterborne illnesses in 2013, and 1,535 people died, most of them children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Over-1500-lives-lost-to-diarrhoea-in-2013-delay-in-treatment-blamed/articleshow/39186504.cms|title=Over 1,500 lives lost to diarrhoea in 2013, delay in treatment blamed|website=The Times of India|last=Isalkar|first=Umesh|date=29 July 2014|publisher=[[Indiatimes]]|access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking water.<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes]". The New York Times. 26 August 2007.</ref>

Acute exposure to certain pollutants can have short and long term effects. Oil spills can cause [[human skin|skin]] irritations and [[rash]]es. Noise pollution induces [[hearing loss]], [[high blood pressure]], [[stress (medicine)|stress]], and [[sleep disturbance]]. [[Mercury poisoning|Mercury]] has been linked to [[developmental disorder|developmental deficits]] in children and [[neurology|neurologic]] symptoms. Older people are significantly exposed to [[Health effects of air pollution|diseases induced by air pollution]]. Those with heart or lung disorders are at additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious risk. [[Lead poisoning|Lead]] and other [[Toxic metal|heavy metals]] have been shown to cause neurological problems, intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=World Health Organisation |date=31 August 2022 |title=Lead poisoning |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health |access-date=5 July 2023 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref> Chemical and [[radioactive]] substances can [[Carcinogen|cause]] [[cancer]] and [[birth defect]]s.

==== Socio economic impacts ====
The health impacts of pollution have both direct and lasting social consequences. A 2021 study found that exposure to pollution causes an increase in violent crime.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Herrnstadt |first1=Evan |last2=Heyes |first2=Anthony |last3=Muehlegger |first3=Erich |last4=Saberian |first4=Soodeh |date=2021 |title=Air Pollution and Criminal Activity: Microgeographic Evidence from Chicago |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20190091 |journal=American Economic Journal: Applied Economics |language=en |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=70–100 |doi=10.1257/app.20190091 |issn=1945-7782 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10871/122348 |s2cid=226513602}}</ref> A 2019 paper linked pollution to adverse school outcomes for children.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Heissel |first1=Jennifer |last2=Persico |first2=Claudia |last3=Simon |first3=David |date=2019 |title=Does Pollution Drive Achievement? The Effect of Traffic Pollution on Academic Performance |url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w25489 |doi=10.3386/w25489 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10945/61763 |s2cid=135425218 |website=National Bureau of Economic Research|series=Working Paper Series }}</ref> A number of studies show that pollution has an adverse effect on the productivity of both indoor and outdoor workers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zivin |first1=Joshua Graff |last2=Neidell |first2=Matthew |date=1 December 2012 |title=The Impact of Pollution on Worker Productivity |journal=American Economic Review |volume=102 |issue=7 |pages=3652–3673 |doi=10.1257/aer.102.7.3652 |issn=0002-8282 |pmc=4576916 |pmid=26401055}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Teng |last2=Liu |first2=Haoming |last3=Salvo |first3=Alberto |date=29 May 2015 |title=Severe Air Pollution and Labor Productivity |location=Rochester, NY |publisher=Social Science Research Network |ssrn=2581311}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Neidell |first1=Matthew |last2=Gross |first2=Tal |last3=Graff Zivin |first3=Joshua |last4=Chang |first4=Tom Y. |date=2019 |title=The Effect of Pollution on Worker Productivity: Evidence from Call Center Workers in China |url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w22328.pdf |journal=American Economic Journal: Applied Economics |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=151–172 |doi=10.1257/app.20160436 |issn=1945-7782 |doi-access=free |s2cid=3329058}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Salvo |first1=Alberto |last2=Liu |first2=Haoming |last3=He |first3=Jiaxiu |date=2019 |title=Severe Air Pollution and Labor Productivity: Evidence from Industrial Towns in China |url=https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8916 |journal=American Economic Journal: Applied Economics |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=173–201 |doi=10.1257/app.20170286 |issn=1945-7782 |s2cid=41838178}}</ref>