Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Air pollution, which is primarily the result of burning fossil fuels, is taking away 2.2 years of global life expectancy for each individual, according to a new report on Tuesday from the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC). The Air Quality of Life Index, or AQLI, finds that overall air pollution requires a total of 17 billion years of life, and reducing air pollution compliance with international health guidelines would increase global life expectancy by about 72 74.2 years The life expectancy of air pollution compared to other well-known causes of harm to human health, such as smoking and terrorism. The chart was provided by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). Cigarette smoke reduces life expectancy by an average of 1.9 years, according to the report. Alcohol and drug use reduce life expectancy by an average of nine months, unsafe water and sanitation reduce life expectancy by seven months, HIV and AIDS reduce life expectancy by four months, malaria reduces average life expectancy by three months and conflict and terrorism reduce life expectancy by seven days, the report said. The AQLI report is noteworthy because its assessment of the impact of particulate pollution on human life expectancy is based on research that allows it to show causation rather than just correlation. “Because of the way these studies were designed – and the rather random set of policies that allowed this design, they established a causal rather than a correlative link between particulate exposure and mortality,” said Christa Hasenkopf, director of AQLI. CNBC. Air pollution is so dangerous because it is impossible to avoid, especially for people living in highly polluted locations, the report said. “While it is possible to quit smoking or take precautions against disease, everyone needs to breathe air. Therefore, air pollution affects far more people than any of these other conditions,” the report said. 60% of particulate air pollution is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, 18% comes from natural sources (including dust, sea salt and fires) and 22% comes from other human activities. The report, developed by Michael Greenstone of the University of Chicago and his team at EPIC, is a measure of air pollution in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic reduced activity and transportation. The massive contraction in activity has reduced global pollution levels by only a small fraction. The weighted average population particulate matter decreased from 27.7 micrograms (one millionth of a gram) per cubic meter of air to 27.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air between 2019 and 2020, according to the report. And in South Asia, where air pollution is the most terrible, air pollution increased in 2020 compared to the previous year. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal are among the most polluted countries in the world. Particulate air pollution is suspended in the air and categorized according to its size. The smaller it is, the deeper it can go into the body. Particles less than 10 microns in diameter, often called PM10, can pass through the hairs in the nose, down the airway and into the lungs. Smaller particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, often called PM2.5, are about 3% of the diameter of a human hair and can enter the bloodstream through the alveoli of the lungs. It can affect blood flow, eventually leading to stroke, heart attack and other health problems. More than 97% of the world’s population lives in areas where air pollution exceeds current guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. The chart was provided by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). When the World Health Organization first published air quality guidelines in 2005, it said acceptable levels of air pollution were less than 10 micrograms per cubic meter. In September, the World Health Organization changed its guidelines to less than 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Currently, 97.3% of the world’s population, or 7.4 billion people, live in places where air quality does not exceed the recommended 5 micrograms per cubic meter recommended by the WHO for particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers. “This report confirms that particulate pollution is the greatest global health threat,” wrote Greenstone, a former chief economist at former President Barack Obama’s Economic Advisory Board. “However, we also see the opportunity for progress. Air pollution is a challenge that can be overcome. It simply requires effective policies.” The buildings are covered in smog in Beijing, China, on February 26, 2014. Anadolu Agency | Getty Images China, for example, has managed to dramatically improve its air quality. In 2014, after a year in which China had record levels of pollution, then-Prime Minister Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution.” The government spent money to fight pollution and managed to reduce particulate pollution by 39.6%, the report said. Despite China’s progress, air pollution levels in China are still higher than the WHO recommends. “It is important to note that air pollution is also deeply linked to climate change. Both challenges are largely caused by the same culprit: fossil fuel emissions from power plants, vehicles and other industrial sources,” the report’s executive summary said. . “These challenges also present a rare opportunity to win, because policy can simultaneously reduce dependence on fossil fuels to enable people to live longer and healthier lives and reduce the cost of climate change.” The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest trading group, voted Monday in favor of a policy declaring climate change a public health crisis. “The scientific evidence is clear – our patients are already experiencing adverse health effects associated with climate change, from heat-related injuries, communicable diseases and air pollution to fires, to the exacerbation of seasonal allergies and storm-related injuries. “The COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis will disproportionately affect the health of historically marginalized communities,” said AMA board member Ilse R. Levin in a written statement announcing the vote. “Taking action now will not reverse all the damage that has been done, but it will help prevent further damage to our planet and to the health and well-being of our patients.
