Scientists: Fine particles in the air cause more than a million deaths annually

Follow-aware
A group of scientists has found that more than one million deaths worldwide annually are linked to short-term exposure to fine particles in the air.

The study, which was published in the journal Science Tech Alert, stated that every year more than a million people around the world lose their lives due to short-term exposure (ranging from hours to days) to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) found in air pollution. East Asia accounts for more than half of these global deaths.

According to the study, to date, most studies have focused on the health effects of living in cities where pollution levels are persistently high, ignoring frequent “spikes” in pollution that can also affect smaller areas, occurring for example in natural fires and other wind storms. Intermittent severe.

The study, conducted by Professor Yuming Guo, is important because it is the first to look at short-term exposure globally, rather than the long-term effects of continuous exposure, such as for people living in cities with high pollution levels.

The researchers found that inhaling PM 2.5 fine particles for a few hours, and even a few days, leads to more than a million premature deaths that occur around the world every year, especially in Asia and Africa, and more than a fifth (22.74%) of them occurred in regions Urban (densely populated).

The authors add that because of the high population density in urban areas coupled with high levels of air pollution, “understanding the mortality burden associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5 in such areas is critical to mitigate the negative effects of air pollution on residents.”