Smog cuts 3 years off lives in northern China, international study finds

Smog from burning coal cuts roughly three years on average off the lives of people in northern China compared with their southern counterparts, a new study suggests.

The report, based on air quality data in 154 cities from 1981 to 2012, found pollution levels were 46 per cent higher north of the Huai River, a dividing line between northern and southern China.

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“The higher mortality rates are evident throughout the life cycle,” said Michael Greenstone, an energy and environment expert at the University of Chicago, who co-authored the study. “They are not just among the young and the old, but we see them also among middle-aged people. It [air pollution] is affecting everyone.” Continue reading...