The study also identified that Asia had the highest number of premature deaths attributable to PM 2.5 pollution

Pollution from man-made emissions and other sources, such as wildfires, has been linked to approximately 135 million premature deaths worldwide between 1980 and 2020, according to a study released by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

The study, published in the journal Environment International, highlighted that fine particles known as particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) are harmful to human health when inhaled because they are small enough to enter the bloodstream. These particles originate from vehicle and industrial emissions, as well as from natural sources like fires and dust storms.

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The university’s research revealed that weather phenomena like El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole exacerbated the effects of these pollutants by intensifying their concentration in the air. The study found that people were dying at a younger age than the average life expectancy from diseases or conditions that could have been treated or prevented, including stroke, heart and lung disease, and cancer.

The study also identified that Asia had the highest number of premature deaths attributable to PM 2.5 pollution, with more than 98 million people affected, primarily in China and India. Other countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Japan also reported significant numbers of premature deaths, ranging from 2 to 5 million people. The study, which is one of the most comprehensive air quality and climate to date, used 40 years of data to provide an overview of the impact of particulate matter on health.

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According to Steve Yim, an associate professor at NTU’s Asian School of the Environment, who led the study, “Our findings show that changes in climate patterns can exacerbate air pollution. When certain climate events, such as El Nino, occur, pollution levels can rise, leading to more premature deaths due to PM 2.5 pollution.”

The researchers used satellite data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) to analyse the levels of particulate matter in the Earth’s atmosphere. They also examined statistics on pollution-related deaths from the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and obtained information on weather patterns from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States.

Furthermore, the study only focused on the effects of regular weather patterns on air pollution, and Yim indicated that the impact of climate change will be addressed in future studies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that “combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution” are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide every year, this study from NTU sheds light on the impact of particulate matter on global health.