Shahida, whose daughter Zainab suffers from respiratory problems, lives in a bustling bazaar where vehicular traffic significantly contributes to air pollution. Shahida says Zainab has been suffering from respiratory issues since she was five years old. Zainab attends school near GTS Chowk, The place is plagued by constant traffic congestion. Despite taking some precautions and antibiotics prescribed by doctors, Zainab's respiratory health continues to deteriorate. Shahida says that the doctor has informed her that diesel oil exhaust particles trigger allergic responses.

Shahida says that the impact of air pollution on their lives has been subtle and profound. She says that Zainab's respiratory health issues began with wheezing in childhood and have now developed into a serious respiratory disease.

Zainab currently relies on an inhaler due to her weakened lungs. She experiences increased air passage reactivity when exposed to house dust mites. Doctors have told Shahida that respiratory allergies are linked to environmental factors. High traffic, along with pollutants like dust mites, pollen, pet dander and smoke contribute to more intense allergic responses. Shahida says "Air pollution is a silent killer. It often goes unnoticed."

Dr Sajid Aziz, a pulmonologist based in Gujrat, says "the main cause of asthma may be allergies or underlying diseases. Both are exacerbated by air pollution. Each attack leaves the respiratory tract prone to irreversible damage."

Dr Muhammad Zubair, an associate professor at the University of Gujrat, says that the atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide. "Combustion of organic fuels like diesel oil and coal releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, PM10 and PM2.5, contributing to an increase in environmental temperature and respiratory disorders."

He says many vehicles in Gujrat emit nitrogen oxides, also known as photochemical smog, which cause respiratory issues, particularly asthma. Nitrogen oxides released by motorcycles, cars and public transport create smog during both winter and summer. In summer, these accumulate in the environment, remaining unseen due to sunlight, while leading to respiratory problems such as asthma, tuberculosis and lung cancer.

“Our lungs take in oxygen from the environment and expel carbon dioxide. However, the dense traffic in Gujrat results in harmful particles settling in our lungs, blocking our venules and causing asthma and allergic diseases,” says Dr Zubair.

The professor adds, “people often neglect their actions that harm them silently.”

He says that we can reduce air pollution through forestation since plants act as a sink for the carbon dioxide.

Younas, a factory worker, says that he started his job at the age of 17 when he had no respiratory issues. However, after four years, at 21, he began experiencing breathing problems due to factory pollutants. Doctors advised him to avoid dust. However, financial constraints prevented him from leaving his job. Over time, his symptoms worsened, leading to frequent coughing and breathing difficulties. At 25, he was diagnosed with asthma, significantly impacting his sleep. He says factory dust affected his throat and later caused respiratory problems. Now he is 37 and doctors have informed him that his lungs are failing.

"Smog and soot are two man-made causes of air pollution. High levels result in sore throat, itching eyes and repeated attacks of cough in healthy individuals. This can precipitate shortness of breath, wheezing, cough with sputum and ultimately asthma."

Dr Sajid says, "Smog and soot are two man-made causes of air pollution. High levels result in sore throats, itching eyes and repeated attacks of cough in healthy individuals. This can precipitate shortness of breath, wheezing, cough with sputum and ultimately asthma. A family history is also associated with respiratory disorders, especially asthma and allergy.

Dr Sajid says air pollution is a global challenge. People can protect themselves by covering their faces with masks to avoid exposure to pollutants in the air. They should also increase their water intake.

Zahid Saqib and his colleagues from University of Gujrat did research on air pollution in the area. They found that industrial and traffic pollution contribute to a raise in regional greenhouse gases concentrations in Gujrat. "Children who attend nearby schools are among the most affected," says the researcher.

Saqib says air pollution can be mitigated by using wet scrubbers. The device was designed to capture suspended particles by exposing them to a spray of water or another liquid. This process removes the particulates from the contaminated airstream. Spray-tower scrubbers can remove 90 per cent of the particles larger than about 8 micrometers from airstream.

Their research revealed that approximately 70 per cent of the population in the selected area faces issues related to climate change. 46 per cent of Gujrat’s residents suffer from allergic diseases and 20 per cent are battling asthma. About 37 per cent of the respondents attribute these health issues to climatic changes, while 38 per cent believe that they stem from human activities. 91 per cent of the participants reported being affected by weather, underscoring the significant challenges Gujrat faces with water supply and pollution due to urbanisation and climate change.

Environment protection inspector Muddassir Iqbal Qadri says government should take steps to control air pollution. He says air pollution has increased due to urbanization and factory and vehicular smoke.

The World Bank has reported that outdoor air pollution in Pakistan causes approximately 22,000 premature adult deaths and leads to the loss of 163,432 disability-adjusted life years annually.

In 2019, an estimated 4.2 million people worldwide died prematurely due to outdoor air pollution. A majority of these deaths, about 89 per cent, occurred in low- and middle-income countries. WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions were the most affected.

Indoor pollution contributes to about 40 million cases of acute respiratory infection and 28,000 deaths each year. According to WHO Global Health Observatory indoor air pollution results in about 30 deaths per 100,000 people and outdoor air pollution for about 25 deaths per 100,000 people in Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Gujranwala