We take around 24,000 breaths of air every day, but the air we breathe is no longer clean. Atmospheric emissions of gases and solid particles are greatly increasing the amount of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and lead in our air. Some of these cause the formation of even more harmful ground-level ozone. Polluted air reduces life expectancy by almost a year and has adverse effects on children's development. That is why measures to reduce traffic, improve combustion in industry and heating, and introduce modern industrial technologies are urgently necessary.