By Arielle Dreher
More than 92% of Americans live in a region with unsafe air pollution, which could lead to reduced life expectancy, according to the latest University of Chicago Air Quality Life Index.
Why it matters: Some Americans could add more than a year to their lives if they lived in a place with cleaner air.
- Air pollution can affect not only the lungs but also the heart, upper airways and many other organs.
What they’re saying: “Don’t light things on fire and breathe it into your lungs,” Erika Moseson, a pulmonologist on the American Thoracic Society Environmental Health Policy Committee, told Axios.
The details: The most polluted counties in the U.S. are in California.
- In Mariposa County, which makes up part of Yosemite National Park; residents could gain 1.7 years of life expectancy if air quality there met new WHO standards, researchers concluded.
The big picture: Improving air quality is tantamount to improving health outcomes, and the U.S. still has a long way to go.
Areas of Focus: Environment, Air Pollution, AQLI, , Air Pollution
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...
Definition
AQLI
Particulate air pollution is one of the most serious risks to human health globally. To help communicate those risks, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) converts particulate air pollution into...
Definition
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...