Outdoor air pollution contributes to the deaths of an estimated 1.6 million people in China every year, or about 4,400 people a day, according to a newly released scientific paper.

According to the data in the paper, about three-eighths of the Chinese population breathe air that would be rated “unhealthy” by United States standards.

The most dangerous of the pollutants studied were fine airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which can find their way deep into human lungs, be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause a host of health problems, including asthma, strokes, lung cancer and heart attacks.

Findings

1.The Berkeley Earth paper’s findings present data saying that air pollution contributes to 17% of all deaths in the nation each year.

2. The authors calculate that the annual toll is 95% likely to fall between 7,00,000 and 2.2 million deaths, and their estimate of 1.6 million a year is the midpoint of that range.
3. The Chinese government is sensitive about public data showing that air pollution is killing its citizens, or even allusions to such a conclusion.

Conclusions

1. Researchers concluded that much of the smog afflicting Beijing came not from the city, but from coal-burning factories 200 miles southwest in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province and a major industrial hub.

2. Promises to clean up Beijing’s air were a centerpiece of the nation’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Expected Questions

What is summer smog is also known as?

-Photochemical smog