In the News
August 30, 2023
Wildfires are exacerbating a huge threat to human health.
More dangerous than tobacco or alcohol, air pollution is exacerbated in certain regions of the world including Asia and Africa, according to a study out today.
“Particulate air pollution remains the world’s greatest external risk to human health”, says the report issued by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
Despite this, the funds allocated to the fight against air pollution represent only a tiny fraction of those devoted to infectious diseases, for example.
Fine particulate matter is caused by fires, industrial activity and motorised vehicles. They are carcinogenic and increase the risk of lung disease, heart disease and strokes.
According to figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 36% of lung cancers are linked to these emissions, as are 34% of strokes and 27% of heart disease.
Compliance with the WHO threshold for exposure to fine particles would increase global life expectancy by 2.3 years, EPIC estimates, based on data collected in 2021.