Air pollution shortens people's lives by over a year, say scientists who suggest that better air quality could lead to a significant extension of human lifespan around the world.
This is the first time that data on air pollution and lifespan has been studied together in order to examine the global variations in how they affect overall life expectancy.
The researchers from University of Texas at Austin in the US looked at outdoor air pollution from particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 microns. These fine particles can enter deep into the lungs, and breathing PM2.5 is associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases and cancer.
PM2.5 pollution comes from power plants, cars and trucks, fires, agriculture and industrial emissions.
The team used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to measure PM2.5 air pollution exposure and its consequences in 185 countries.
They then quantified the national impact on life expectancy for each individual country as well as on a global scale.
The findings were published Aug. 22 in