Pollution is becoming a serious problem in Macedonia. This winter we are in the top ten countries with most polluted air in the world. Many forms of pollution can have wide and long-term negative impact on human’s, plant’s, and animal health, or on entire ecosystems.

It’s been been proven that air pollution contributes to health issues, including breathing problems, worsening of health problems with chronically ill patients etc. Toxic pollution is among the leading risk factors for non-infectious diseases globally. Non-infectious diseases account for 72% of all deaths, of which 16% are caused by toxic pollution.

Toxic pollution is responsible for 22% of all cardiovascular diseases, 25% of stroke-caused deaths, 40% of lung cancer caused deaths, and 53% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cased deaths. 

World Health Organization (WHO) data show that air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths each year. 91-99% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO recommendations. 

The USA Environmental Protection Agency measures five major pollutants, all of them regulated with the Clean Air Act:

• ground level ozone
• particle pollution (including PM2,5 and PM10)
• carbon monoxide
• sulfur dioxide
• nitrogen dioxide

Of which, particle pollution is most often monitored. The World Health Organization estimated the concentration of PM 2,5 particles to determine the most polluted place on Earth. PM 2,5 refers to minor particles or droplets in the air that are 2,5 microns (μg) or smaller in diameter.