135Million Premature Deaths Between 1980 and 2020 Due to Air Pollution According to a Scientific Study
Air pollution, caused by emissions from human activities or other sources such as wildfires, led to an estimated 135 million premature deaths worldwide between 1980 and 2020, according to a recently published university study from Singapore.
Nanyang Technological University in Singapore revealed that weather phenomena such as El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (another natural climate event resulting from differences in sea surface temperature) have exacerbated the effects of pollutants by increasing PM2.5 concentrations in the air.
Fine PM2.5 particles, with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, are harmful to human health when inhaled because their small size allows them to enter the bloodstream. They come from vehicles and industrial emissions, as well as natural sources like fires and dust storms.
The study found that these deaths occurred at an age younger than average life expectancy, due to preventable or treatable diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung disease, and cancer. Weather phenomena contributed to a 14% increase in this number of deaths, according to the study, which states that “the largest number of premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 pollution was recorded in Asia, with over 98 million cases, mainly in China and India.” Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia.
