‘Air pollution increases the severity of coronavirus’

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Consisting of 16 professional organizations and NGOs working on air pollution and health impacts, the Right to Clean Air Platform has raised concerns that air pollution severely aggravates health problems and increases the severity of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and mortality risk.

The platform has shared expert opinions about the issue as well as its 10 solution offers for clean air in 2021.

'Pollution increases the severity of the virus'

Prof. Nilay Etiler, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Representative to the Right to Clean Air Platform, has said:

"Air pollution is an important risk factor that increases the severity and mortality risk of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) just as it increases these risks for chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, paralysis and, especially, lung cancer.

"Like the diseases caused by COVID-19 virus, living in a place with polluted air paves the way for respiratory tract infections. So, for a struggle against the pandemic, measures need to be taken to reduce air pollution."

'Air pollution rate is very high'

Assoc. Prof. Gamze Varol, also a TTB Representative to the platform, has briefly stated the following:

"Prior exposure to air pollution makes people more vulnerable to COVID-19 and increases the mortality rates. According to the platform's data, in 2019, in 98 percent of 51 provinces where sufficient air quality values (PM10) were obtained in Turkey, the air was so polluted that it was above the limit values set by the World Health Organization (WHO)

"The problem of air pollution in Iğdır, Düzce, Manisa, Bursa, Kahramanmaraş and Afyon, where people have been breathing polluted air over the past four years, has become a chronic problem that cannot be solved.

"If the air pollution in Turkey had been reduced to the reference values of the WHO, 7.9 percent (31 thousand 476) of the deaths in 2019 and 12.13 percent (45 thousand 398) of the deaths in 2018 could have been prevented. Since 2017, air pollution has been causing six times more fatalities in Turkey than car accidents. The Dark Report 2020 also show this:

"As the number of people exposed to polluted air is really high in İstanbul, it was also the city with the highest number of deaths caused by air pollution in 2017 (with 3 thousand 761 deaths). İstanbul was followed by İzmir (2 thousand 75) and by Manisa (a thousand 680) in this list.

"On the other side, in the provinces such as Zonguldak, Kütahya, Afşin, Çanakkale, Manisa, Sivas and İzmir, where there are a significant number of coal-fired power plants and mines, which cause air pollution, the incidence of chronic respiratory diseases is higher among the local people living there. Kahramanmaraş and Iğdır are among the provinces where air pollution is high in the list of death causes."

'It will cause 32 thousand premature deaths'

Elbistan Life and Nature Protection Platform Representative İbrahim Yalçın has also shared the following information:

"In Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş, where the air has been polluted to a risky extent over the past four years, Afşin-Elbistan A Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant was permitted to resume operation, indicating that improvements were made. The plants that have not made the necessary investments to comply with the environmental regulation of the Ministry of Nature and Urbanization must not be allowed to operate.

"More importantly, in addition to the two currently operating coal-fired plants in Afşin, they are planning to build six additional plants. According to scientific studies, when the currently operating and projected power plants are taken together, it will cause 32 thousand premature deaths in 30 years."

Recommendations

Within this context, the Right to Clean Air Platform has also presented its solution offers for clean air. Addressing all institutions and organizations in Turkey, the platform has offered 10 recommendations about the measurement of air quality, limit values, action plan, transparent data, permit procedures, incentives, transportation, heating and sound recovery.

About the platform

Right to Clean Air Platform, consists of 16 professional organizations and NGOs, working on air pollution and health impacts in Turkey since 2015.

The aim of the Platform is to advocate for the right to live in an environment with clean air and to protect the public health from the air pollution, especially resulting from the existing and the planned coal fired power plants in Turkey. Platform Constituents are as follows:

CAN Europe, General Practitioner Association of Turkey, Greenpeace Mediterranean, Green Peace Law Association, Green Thought Association, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Physicians for Environment Association, TEMA Foundation (The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats), Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Turkish Neurological Society, Turkish Respiratory Society, Turkish Society of Occupational Health Specialists (İMUD), Turkish Society of Public Health Specialists (HASUDER), Yuva Association, WWF Turkey, 350.org. (TP/SD)