Study reveals irreversible link between air pollution and vision loss

A new study published on Monday has shed light on theirreversible link between air pollution and vision loss.

Air pollution can cloud people's vision and in later life lead to macular degeneration, an age-related eye ailment that can lead toirreversible blindness.

Researchers believe that pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphurdioxide are the biggest causes of health concerns.

The study reveals thatpeople who were exposed to higher fine ambient particulate matter with an aerodynamic diametre of 2.5 micrometreshad higher odds of self-reported age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The United Kingdom Biobank conducted this cross-sectional study onparticipants aged 40–69 years.

According to the authors of the study,"Our findings add to the growing evidence of the damaging effects of ambient air pollution, even in the setting of relatively low exposure of ambient air pollution."

Over 90 per cent of the global population lives in places where air quality levels exceed the limits set for pollutants that pose health risks, as per estimates published by theWorld Health Organization.

Previous research based on satellite data and ground observations had struggled to distinguishpollutioncaused by burning fossil fuels from other sources of harmful particulates, such as wildfires or dust.

The team from three British universities and Harvard University sought to overcome this problem by using a high-resolution model to give a clearer indication of which kinds of pollutants people were breathing in a particular area.

Research in 2017 had put the annual number of deaths from all outdoorairborne particulate matter — including dust and smoke from agricultural burns and wildfires — at 4.2 million.