NEWSROOM

The weather started to cool down, heaters began are now on across Turkey, and coats began to take their place on the hanger. The air pollution accompanying the cold also came to the fore again. A recent academic study conducted in Istanbul drew attention to the effect of air pollution on COVID-19 deaths.

*** This release is originally published in Turkish.
Google Translate Application translates the content you see on this page.***

ISTANBUL (TR) - Although the rate of COVID-19 cases is falling with increasing vaccination rates, the pandemic continues to have an impact worldwide. According to the current coronavirus table of the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 235 million cases have been detected so far, while almost 5 million people have lost their lives due to the pandemic. The online PR service B2Press examined data on air pollution caused by winter cold, which is increasingly felt, within the framework of the pandemic. B2Press, which deals with a recent academic research on this subject, announced that deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Istanbul are related to air pollution, as well as age, socioeconomic status and number of households. The research titled "The Effect of Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Level on Deaths Due to Covid-19 in Istanbul" published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research showed that polluted air causes an even greater risk of death from COVID-19.

Air pollution leads to the early death of 7 million people

According to the Greenpeace Air Pollution Perception Survey conducted by B2PRESS an Online PR Service, which provides press release distribution services, 4 out of every 10 people think that air pollution is the biggest environmental problem in Turkey, it ranked 46th in the world air pollution ranking. According to the Health and Environment Association (HEAL) report, Turkey gets 56% of its electricity from fossil fuels and 37% from coal, while experts say that the intense air pollution caused by coal-based electricity generation poses a great risk to public health. According to data released by the World Health Organization, air pollution is considered the greatest environmental threat to human health on a global scale and leads to the early death of 7 million people every year in the world. Among the effects of air pollution on human health, as well as lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, respiratory tract; cancer; including cardiovascular diseases. 

Air pollution is not only risky for people aged over-65

Experts say that exposure to air pollution reduces resistance to viral and bacterial infections by damaging the respiratory system. Air pollution disrupts the body's natural defenses against viruses, increasing the likelihood of contracting diseases, while being effective in transporting viruses. According to the academic research by Prof. Dr.Nilay Etiler and Dr.Nilüfer Aykaç,on chest diseases which was examined by B2Press, exposure to air pollutants increases the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases not only for the vulnerable group age over 65, but for all age groups.

9 out of 10 people breathe the smell of coal

Coal use is quite common in many provinces in Turkey, including big cities. According to the HEAL report reviewed by the Online PR Service B2Press,the region most affected by coal is the basin between Zonguldak, Çanakkale, Milas and Muğla, also known as the "coal belt". Along with most major cities, the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea coastline is heavily affected by coal. Participants in the Greenpeace survey also confirm this picture. According to the Air Pollution Perception Survey, 9 out of 10 people say they can't get fresh air or smell the smell of coal when they open the window.