How much do you know about air pollution?

How much do you know about air pollution? | quiz

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to another quick quiz! Today we wanted to share some questions about air pollution. This is a very complex issue with many statistics, so these were all taken from reliable sources such as Friends Of The Earth (friendsoftheearth.uk) and the World Health Organisation (who.int). We hope this is educational and enjoyable! Let us know your score in the comments, or which answer surprised you the most!

1. Around how many early deaths are caused by air pollution each year in the UK?

a) 3, 000

b) 30 000

c) 300 000

2. Which of these can microscopic pollutants affect?

a) lungs and heart

b) lungs and brain

c) lungs, heart and brain

3. How long did it take for a road in London to breach the air pollution limits for the year in 2017?

a) 5 days

b) 5 weeks

c) 5 months

4. True or False? You are exposed to 8 times more pollution as a cyclist compared to being inside a car.

5. How many of the UK's car journeys are under 5 miles?

a) a third

b) half

c) two thirds

6. How many diesel cars are on UK roads?

a) 7.5 million

b) 9.5 million

c) 11.5 million

7. Diesel exhaust fumes can cause....

a) lung disease

b) heart disease

c) cancer

8. How many times more polluting are diesel cars than petrol cars?

a) 2x

b) 5x

c) 10x

9. True or False: the smallest particles are the most dangerous.

10. True or False: air pollution can damage your nerves.

(scroll down for the answers)

Answers:

1. b - 30 000 early deaths are caused by air pollution every year in the UK.

2. c - lungs, heart and brain can be affected by microscopic pollutants.

3. a - it took only 5 days in 2017 for Brixton road in London to breach the limits for the entire year!

4. False! It's in fact the opposite - you are exposed to 8 times more pollution sat in a car than as a cyclist. When driving in heavy traffic, use the recycled air setting on your fan so your car doesn't suck in harmful fumes.

5. c - two thirds of all UK car journeys are under 5 miles.

6. c - there are 11.5 million diesel cars on UK roads. However, sales in 2022 were down 38% compared to 2021, a step in the right direction with regard to both air pollution and climate change.

7. c - cancer. Diesel is classed by the WHO as a group 1 carcinogen - that's the same group as tobacco and mustard gas.

8. c - 10 times!

9. True! The most dangerous particles of air pollution are smaller than the width of human hair, and can therefore penetrate deep into our lungs.

10. True! It can also affect your brain, kidneys and liver, along with your lungs.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post! We hope it has been interesting and you've learnt something about air pollution today!

Your Green World Blog Team💚

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