Studies have revealed, that as the human population grows, more people will move to towns and cities for better opportunities, employment and advancement. This is a global phenomenon and will never stop. Numerous types of anthropological activities tend to excerpt many types of pollution to the atmosphere, sea, and land. Among others, the transport of hazardous products and wastes, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, and loss of biodiversity are common global problems threatening the health of many communities (WHO, 1977).

Background

Furthermore, in 2022 WHO mentioned in 2019, 99 per cent of the world’s population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met. The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually. Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. Some 89 per cent of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries and the greatest number in the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific Regions. There are many types of air pollutants which as classified into the following categories and include the following: –

• Suspended particulate matter (SPM, PM-10) includes diesel exhaust, coal fly-ash, mineral specks of dust (for instance, coal, asbestos, limestone, cement), metal specks of dust and fumes (for instance, zinc, copper, iron, lead) and acid mists (for instance, sulphuric acid), fluorides, paint pigments, pesticide mists, carbon black and oil smoke.
• Gaseous pollutants include sulfur compounds (for instance, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3)), carbon monoxide, nitrogen compounds (for instance, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia, organic compounds (for instance, hydrocarbons (HC), volatile organic compounds (VOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), aldehydes), halogen compounds and halogen derivatives (for instance, HF and HCl), hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide and mercaptans (odours).

Population at risk

Since 1975 the world has been adding another billion people every 12 years. It passed its last milestone of seven billion in 2011. By the end of 2022, another one will pass: there will be eight billion people worldwide (UN, 2019). Moreover, the increased population will result in increased use of motor vehicles and other types of transport for numerous needs in many other sectors. In advanced countries, a family has more than two vehicles. The cumulative greenhouse gasses (GHG) levels will increase by 15 percent. There are many types of vehicles we see on the roads and at other sites. These vehicles use thousands of litres of fuel per day to provide energy to perform a variety of works. On the other hand, the same goes for airplanes which carry hundreds of tons of weight and fly. These aircraft also utilize massive amounts of special fuel. So where does the burnt fuel end up? The answer is simple, the gaseous pollutants mix with fresh air and produce different levels of air pollutants that permeate into the stratosphere. Humans and many other living organisms are greatly affected and include, plants, birds, rivers, oceans, animals, and sea creatures (WHO, 2022).
So it means the level of air pollutants or (vitiated air) may increase substantially to its maximum limits set by the UNEP. In 2017, about three-quarters of IQAir’s tally of the world’s most polluted cities were in China, followed by India. IQAir Technology is a Swiss air quality technology company specializing in protecting against airborne pollutants and developing air quality monitoring and cleaning products (Burgi M, 2020). A World Bank report published in June estimated that India’s annual increase in fine particle pollution decreased by 0.56 percentage points off its annual GDP growth every year due to reduced worker productivity and capital formation. The pollution epidemic is a problem not just for India’s 1.4 billion residents, but the population of any country in the world.

Routes of exposure and health impacts on population

Chemicals are released from many sources, and include, naturally occurring chemicals released from natural geological processes, and from mining, and dredging, as well as wastes from industrial, commercial, and manufacturing sectors (Plate 1). Air, soil, and oceans are the recipients of all types of chemical pollution. Humans are subject to exposure by ways of inhalation, oral ingestion, absorption through skin, and eyes, placental transfer from pregnant women to the fetus, inoculation, and direct transfer of mother to child through breastfeeding. After inhalation of particulate matter, the size of particulate matter determines where in the respiratory tract is deposited and therefore, where they exert they exerts their toxic their toxic effect. Exposures to particulate matter are common in industrial settings resulting in well-defined diseases such as silicosis, (lung, restrictions, and obstructions), inhalation of crystalline silica, nickel oxides, sulfides, chromium compounds, and arsenic tri-oxides. Mutagen is a physical agent that permanently changes genetic material usually, DNA in an organism. Hence the divided cells may result in alterations of chemical alterations. As such, they become irreversible mutations as a result of DNA replication.

Fiji scenarios – sugar cane crushing

WHO’s, 2020 guidelines indicated the air quality in Fiji is considered moderately unsafe.
The most recent data indicates the country’s annual mean concentration of PM2.5 is 11 µg/m3 which exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3. Example: 1 ug/m3 = 1000000 ppm; or 1 ppm = 1.0E-6 ug/m3. The risks will be high when the sugar mills will commence cane crushing this month, and the frequency of lorries and trucks will increase in 3 sugar cane milling areas.
Therefore, it will add much concern to vulnerable populations in cold conditions and sickness. Sugar cane milling areas and industrial areas in the country should be monitored by a special device to observe the quality of air. WHO, ENEP, and the Department of Environment with the involvement of the University should be focal area concerns to protect the health and safety of the people.

Conclusion

Air pollution is indeed a growing concern in Fiji. Due to changes in weather patterns, since Fiji entered into the cold and dry season, there may be likely incidence of many sicknesses including, the spread of flu, coughs, sneezing, asthma, and colds swelling in nostrils, red irritated throats and such weather narrows blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attacks. While medications may relieve the pains, however, there is a need to seek medical advice. While actions to reduce air pollution require cooperation among various sectors and stakeholders, health sector involvement is crucial for raising awareness of the impacts of air pollution on health and the economy and ensuring that protecting health strongly features in policy discussions. UNEP supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Rio+20 outcome document, “The Future We Want” by promoting effective international environmental governance, which has been a subject of discussion among member States since the establishment of UNEP in 1972.