PM 2.5 pollution shortens human lives by more than a year, according to a new open-access study from a team of environmental engineers and public health researchers published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters . Better air quality could lead to a significant extension of lifespans around the world. This study marks the first time that data on PM 2.5 and lifespan has been studied together in order to examine the global variations in how they affect overall life expectancy. Source: Apte et al. The researchers 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 PM 2.5 is associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases and cancer. PM 2.5 pollution comes from power plants, cars and trucks, fires, agriculture and industrial emissions. Led by Joshua Apte in the […]