ASEAN MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

ON CLEAN AIR, HEALTH AND CLIMATE

24-25 July 2019, The Peninsula Manila, Makati City, Philippines

Air Pollution: The Silent Killer

Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD
Technical Officer for Environmental
and Occupational Health
WHO/Philippines
 Outline

• Air Pollution is a Health Issue

• Air Pollution, Climate Change and
Health are Interlinked
• WHO Air Quality Guidelines
• Health Benefits of Reducing Air Pollution
• Conclusion
 Household
Air Pollution
-4.3 Million

PM 2.5 7 million people are dying every year

because of air pollution

Outdoor Air
Pollution
-3.7 Million
 Air Pollution: a major risk to health
Scientific evidence:
• Particles smaller than 2.5mm in diameter
penetrate deep into the lungs and effect the body
more systematically leading to diseases like
stroke, heart disease, in addition to the cancers,
COPD and pneumonia.
 Composition of PM 2.5
• Residual matter
• Ammoniated sulfate
• Crustal materials
• Equivalent black
carbon
• Water
• Ammonium nitrate
• Sea salt
• Trace element
oxides

Source: Snider, et al, 2016. Variation in global chemical composition of PM2.5: emerging results
from Surface PARTiculate mAtter Network (SPARTAN)
Outdoor Air Quality
 Indoor Air

X - Unprocessed coal
X – kerosene as fuel
 Conclusion
• Air pollution ---> health
• PM 2.5 ---> deadliest pollutant
• Some air pollutants ---> short-lived climate
pollutants
• Reducing the levels of short-lived climate
pollutants --- > lessens health impact of air
pollution and slows down climate change
--- > beneficial to health
THANK YOU!!!