Air pollution accounts for over 500,000 deaths in India annually: Study
Updated: Jul 16, 2013 06:01:39pm
New Delhi, Jul 16 (KNN) India has the second highest air pollution mortality rates with an estimated 397,000 deaths from fine particulates and ozone accounting for, on average, 118,000, said a CNN report.
The report is based on a study by Environmental Research Letters which categorically states that air pollution kills over two million annually.
It revealed that an estimated 2.1 million deaths are caused by anthropogenic increases of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) while a further 470,000 are killed annually as a result of human-caused increases in ozone pollution.
The study assesses impact of fine particulates and ozone using atmospheric climate models, pointing to the fact that outdoor air pollution is an important problem and among the most important environmental risk factors for health.
East Asia is the worst affected area with researchers estimating more than a million people dying prematurely every year from PM2.5 pollution and 203,000 from ozone pollution.
After India comes Southeast Asia with an estimated average of 158,000 deaths from particulate matter and 33,300 attributed to ozone.
As far as Europe is concerned it has fractionally less particulate matter deaths of 154,000 on an average, and 32,800 premature deaths owing to ozone.
In North America there were an average of 43,000 deaths from fine particulates and 34,400 related to ozone.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, fine particulate matter which includes dust, soot, smoke and liquid droplets is classified as less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It is particularly dangerous to human health because it can lodge deep in the lungs causing cancer and other respiratory disease.
Further, ground level ozone is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight.
The study also found that climate change hasn't had huge impact on effects of air pollution. However, in the future, climate change will get more severe and that could have a greater effect on air pollution.
Needless to say, the research adds to a growing body of evidence revealing both the human and economic impacts of air pollution around the world. (KNN)
The report is based on a study by Environmental Research Letters which categorically states that air pollution kills over two million annually.
It revealed that an estimated 2.1 million deaths are caused by anthropogenic increases of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) while a further 470,000 are killed annually as a result of human-caused increases in ozone pollution.
The study assesses impact of fine particulates and ozone using atmospheric climate models, pointing to the fact that outdoor air pollution is an important problem and among the most important environmental risk factors for health.
East Asia is the worst affected area with researchers estimating more than a million people dying prematurely every year from PM2.5 pollution and 203,000 from ozone pollution.
After India comes Southeast Asia with an estimated average of 158,000 deaths from particulate matter and 33,300 attributed to ozone.
As far as Europe is concerned it has fractionally less particulate matter deaths of 154,000 on an average, and 32,800 premature deaths owing to ozone.
In North America there were an average of 43,000 deaths from fine particulates and 34,400 related to ozone.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, fine particulate matter which includes dust, soot, smoke and liquid droplets is classified as less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It is particularly dangerous to human health because it can lodge deep in the lungs causing cancer and other respiratory disease.
Further, ground level ozone is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight.
The study also found that climate change hasn't had huge impact on effects of air pollution. However, in the future, climate change will get more severe and that could have a greater effect on air pollution.
Needless to say, the research adds to a growing body of evidence revealing both the human and economic impacts of air pollution around the world. (KNN)
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