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Cleaner Air, Fewer Deaths

The less polluted the air in your city, the longer you’re likely to live.

It might seem obvious, but now there’s new research to back up the claims of environmentalists who have long pushed for tougher pollution controls. A study recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found a direct link between a drop in air pollution and the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and lung cancer.

In short, for every 1 microgram of soot decrease per cubic meter of air, mortality rates fell a corresponding 3%. That translates to longer lives for 75,000 Americans per year. The study found consistent results in six metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kansas.

The scientists measured soot, or small particulate pollution, because it is these small bits of liquid and solid particles (coming from the burning of fossil fuels) that get trapped in our lungs and cause the biggest health problems. The particles can be as small as one ten-thousandth of an inch. Over the past three to four decades, clean air regulations have helped to greatly reduce small particulate pollution in our country. Now scientists are pushing for even greater reductions.

That’s news that ought to help us all breathe a little bit easier.

To learn more about this story, click here.

To see a copy of the study, click here.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org