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"Doctors must speak"
Schraufnagel is concerned that many doctors are not aware of this widespread damage associated with air pollution.
"Some people have no idea that air pollution affects the organs in which they specialize, but it also affects their organs and it would be better for them to pay attention to it," he said. -he declares. "They need to educate their patients and they should then express themselves" in favor of the action.
Researchers can not experiment on people and, as a result, many studies show by necessity significant links between poor air quality and diseases, but can not prove the cause and effects.
However, Schraufnagel stated that the particularly convincing evidence came from three types of studies: air pollution and diseases moving in parallel, the "dose" of pollution correlated with disease levels and animal studies.
For example, measures taken by governments to reduce pollution before the Beijing Olympics in 2008 resulted in an increase in birth weight in the city.
"The harmful effects occur even at levels below the air quality standards previously considered safe," warn scientists, who represent all continents. But they add, "The good news is that the problem of air pollution can be solved."
"The best way to reduce exposure is to control it at the source," said Schraufnagel. Most of the air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, heat homes and transport electricity.
"We have to work on these factors in a very dramatic way," said Neira. "We are probably the first generation in our history to be exposed to such a high level of pollution. People will say that in London or elsewhere, the situation was worse 100 years ago, but we are now talking about an incredible number of people exposed for a long time. "
"We have megacities where all citizens breathe toxic air," she said. "However, with all the evidence we gather now, politicians will not be able to say we did not know it."
• What you and your government can do against air pollution
• Air pollution: all you need to know about a public health emergency
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