Death in the air we breathe

The pollution of the air we breathe causes almost a million more deaths in the world than AIDS or malaria, although we do not have it much in the news. The study “The contribution of outdoor air pollution to premature mortality on a global scale”< /a>, directed by Johannes Lelieveld of the German Max Planck Institute and published by the journal Nature, figure at more than 3.3 million deaths caused by outdoor air pollution. And the authors warn that this number could double by 2050 if measures are not taken.

The problem is particularly pressing in Asia, with China and India standing out, where three-quarters of the world’s pollution-related deaths occur. 1.4 million people die each year in China from air pollution, and 650,000 in India. In the European Union, 150,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to polluting particles in the air.

Coal-fired plants emit mercury, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, or fine particles, among other toxins that seriously affect human health.