A new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives finds that decreases in fine particulate (PM2.5) air pollution contributed to almost 6% of the reduction in deaths from heart disease from 1990-2010. Components of PM2.5 include sulfur dioxide (SO2) from large sources such as power plants, and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and elemental carbon (EC) from mobile sources (cars and other vehicles).
Cleaning up the air prevented about 69,000 deaths from heart disease in 2010 (22.94/100,000 people) compared to 1990 levels of pollution. The article did not discuss this, but this is is the period following the 1990 Clean Air Act renewal, and shows how well the Clean Air Act is protecting our health.
This study just looked at deaths from heart disease, and only at lives saved. The benefits also include other diseases such as strokes, lung disease, dementia, and more. Benefits of cleaning up the air also include reduced hospitalizations, doctor visits, and medicine needed to treat illnesses.
Cleaning up the air has definitely helped save lives and improve health and wellbeing.
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/EHP5692
01/08/2020
