Study: More than 6 million could die early from air pollution every year
Another study published this week looked closely at air quality in the United States. The research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that even miniscule increases in the amount of air pollution particles were linked to a 3% increase in overall deaths and an estimated 10% increase in the risk of death due to heart disease in the United States.
"These tiny chemical particles we breathe can get past the body's immune system and penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, and they are not naturally removed from the body's airways," said epidemiologist George Thurston, a professor of population health and environmental medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, and an author of the study.
Lelieveld said that air pollution solutions have to be on a country-by-country basis. In the United States and Europe, it could be most beneficial to take measures to lessen the impact of agricultural emissions. In Asia, researchers said, implementing better control over small burning sources and upgrades to new technology would go a long way.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/health/air-pollution-deaths-rising/index.html
Air pollution causes 200,000 early deaths each year in the U.S.
Researchers from MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment have come out with some sobering new data on air pollution’s impact on Americans’ health.
The group tracked ground-level emissions from sources such as industrial smokestacks, vehicle tailpipes, marine and rail operations, and commercial and residential heating throughout the United States, and found that such air pollution causes about 200,000 early deaths each year. Emissions from road transportation are the most significant contributor, causing 53,000 premature deaths, followed closely by power generation, with 52,000.
http://lae.mit.edu/air-pollution-causes-200000-early-deaths-each-year-in-the-u-s/
Air pollution
Air pollution is a broad term applied to any chemical, physical (particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet earth.
Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the earth's ecosystems.
Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory disease.
Enforced air quality standards, like the Clean Air Act in the United States, have reduced the presence of some pollutants.
While major stationary sources are often identified with air pollution, the greatest source of emissions are actually mobile sources, principally the automobile.
There are many available air pollution control technologies and urban planning strategies available to reduce air pollution; however, worldwide costs of addressing the issue are high.
The most immediate method of improving air quality would be the use of bioethanol fuel, biodiesel, solar energy, and hybrid vehicle technologies.
The World Health Organization estimates that 4.6 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution.
Many of these mortalities are attributable to indoor air pollution.
Worldwide more deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents.
Research published in 2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air pollution annually.
Direct causes of air pollution related deaths include aggravated asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory allergies.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/air_pollution.htm
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