Princeton Study Found Thousands Killed Each Year from Air Pollution

A recent study by a team of researchers from Princeton University has found that thousands of people around the world meet pre-mature death annually due to air pollution composed of microscopic particles. They estimate that 380,000 people are impacted and die due to particle pollution composed of diesel emissions, smoke from coal-fired power plants, as well as natural dust particles that mix with the toxins.

Of concern is the amount of air pollution that originates in other countries and is than carried by air currents to another part of the globe - branded "transcontinental pollution". The study sites as an example a dust plume from African deserts and fog pollution from Europe, which then converge on India.

Fine particle pollution (less than 2.5 microns in diameter) impacts health by causing breathing problems, irritation and becoming embedded within the lungs. The particles can also enter the bloodstream and damage arteries.

The study was published in Atmospheric Environment.