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Health Impacts of Shipping Emissions

CARS AND TRUCKS AREN’T THE ONLY CAUSE OF DANGEROUS AIR POLLUTION.  THE EMISSIONS FROM SHIPS AT SEA ARE NOT JUST A DROP IN THE OCEAN, AS YOU’LL HEAR ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

EVEN WHILE THEY’RE OUT AT SEA, FREIGHT SHIPS CAN IMPACT THE AIR WE BREATHE ON LAND.  AND PEOPLE IN COASTAL AREAS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES AFFECTED.

CORBETT: SHIPS DO CONTRIBUTE EMISSIONS THAT ARE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT POLLUTANTS.

THAT’S JAMES CORBETT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE COLLEGE OF MARINE AND EARTH STUDIES.  HIS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PARTICULATE MATTER AND OTHER OCEANGOING SHIP EMISSIONS ARE TRANSPORTED WORLDWIDE, CAUSING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CARDIO-PULMONARY AND LUNG CANCER DEATHS EACH YEAR.

IT’S A PROBLEM THAT’S LIKELY TO GET WORSE AS GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS GET LONGER.  SO CORBETT SAYS HIS STUDY UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR CLEANER FUELS AND BETTER EMISSIONS-CONTROLS.

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Read the study that was published in Environmental Science and Technology.

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