I See No Air Pollution

It has been estimated that 90% of the world's human populations live with air pollution, a largely invisible threat. A study (published in the British Journal of Opthalmology) was carried out by scientists at the University College of London, on 116,000 people aged 40-69 years, who had no eye problems at the start of their investigation (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/26/air-pollution-linked-to-higher-risk-of-irreversible-sight-loss). The study revealed that small increases in dirty air were linked to an increase (around 8%) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Higher pollution produced more AMD. Macular degeneration is the death of light-receptor cells in the retina of the eye and is the major cause of irreversible blindness. It seems that our eyes are paricularily vulnerable to the effects of particulate pollution, because they have a high blood flow. Air pollution has also be linked (to greater and lesser extents) to other degenerative eye conditions, such as glaucoma and cataracts.The effects on our eyes, provide an additional excellent reason for curbing air pollution (especially that concerned with transport).