Prof. Dr. Sundeep Mishra writes about the effects of air pollution on heart health and smog being a major contributor to the rise in cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Smog and cardiovascular health

Air pollution is a significant environmental and health hazard. Smog is a man-made air pollution derived from coal combustion emissions, vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, forest and agricultural fires and photochemical reactions of these emissions. The problem was first brought into public attention by something known as “Big Smoke” or Great smog of 1952, an episode of severe air-pollution that affected London in December 1952.

Big smoke was essentially a collection of airborne particles, arising mostly from the use of coal, culminating in a thick layer of smog over the city, lasting 5 days (from 5–9 December 1952) and then dispersing as quickly as it came. Since London at that time was already accustomed to heavy fogs, no special attention was paid to it, certainly there was no panic; it just seemed a denser and a longer standing fog.

The only apparent problem that seemed to be faced by the general public was a low visibility that made driving almost impossible, and thus all public transport ceased, ambulance service stopped functioning and all outdoor sporting events were called off. Moreover, the fog even seeped indoors, resulting in the cancellation/abandonment of concerts and movies, since stage could not be viewed from the seats.