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October 27, 2017

Breathing is hazardous to health

Kathmandu’s poor air quality has become so serious that with the onset of winter there is growing public outrage about its health implications. Findings released this week by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago add further proof that air pollution is emerging as the world’s single largest environmental health threat – and Asian countries are most at risk.
By
Sonia Awale

The study has mapped air pollution data to show where it is worst. Deteriorating air quality in Kathmandu Valley due to suspended roadside dust particles, vehicle emission, brick kiln soot and transboundary pollution from India is shortening the average lifespan of people here by up to four years. Pollution levels in Kathmandu are sometimes worse than in cities in China and India.

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month based on an analysis of pollution data from 154 Chinese cities from 1982-2012 compared with mortality data covering 78 million people from 2004-2012. Researchers found a strong correlation and concluded that life expectancy is reduced by about seven months and one year with every additional 10µg/m³ of partciles that are 10 and 2.5 microns diameter respectively.

The results greatly strengthen the case that long-term exposure to particulate air pollution causes substantial reductions in life expectancy,” said Michael Greenstone, an author of the paper and director of the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago. Continue reading…