Could "normal" human development lead to a sufficient air pollution to make gas masks mandatory?

I'm starting a story taking place around 2080 AD/CE, and I'm wondering if the key element - global pollution - is plausible.

In my storyline, the XXIst century brings no huge technological advances (I mean nothing truly game-breaking). Mostly increased efficiency in computing power, a few new materials, and global switch to electricity.

Is there some kind of human-generated air pollution that could rise to dangerous levels, so that living outdoors without appropriate protection would be unsafe ? I'm thinking aerosol.

Assuming no big, coordinated action is taken for some decades (politics and global opinion react slowly at first), can such an omnipresent and impactful change occur, and will it take a long time to reverse ?

Living indoors with appropriate air filtering would be safe.

posted over 9 years ago

Njoqi‭

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