Air Pollution More Deadlier Than Road Accidents in Brazil

In Sao Paulo, air pollution kills more people annually than road accidents, Brazil's most populous city which will host the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, a study found.

The survey by the Health and Environment out Tuesday said at least 4,655 people died from pollution-related ailments in the city which is home to 11 million, compared with 1,556 killed in crashes.

Air Pollution Kills Nearly Two Million People Every Year
US researchers have said that human-caused outdoor air pollution may be responsible for over two million deaths worldwide - a large number of them in South Asia and East Asia - each year.

With four million vehicles clogging the city streets every day, pollution was also a bigger killer than breast cancer and AIDS, it added.

At the state level, the split is also stark.

"Few people know it, but every year, 15,000 people die throughout the state due to pollution, more than the 7,900 deaths from road accidents," said institute president Evangelina Vormittag.

Air Pollution Increases Risk of Lung Cancer, Heart Failure
Studies prove long-term exposure to particulate air pollution increases the risk of lung cancer and heart failure even at concentrations below the legal maximum.

With a total population of 42 million, the state of Sao Paulo is also Brazil's most populous and the annual average of pollutants in the air reaches 20 to 25 micrograms per cubic meter, much higher than the 10 micrograms tolerated by the World Health Organization.

Scientists say environmental pollution can cause many respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems and breast cancer.

Exposure to Air Pollution Caused by Burning of Coal Shortens Life Span
A new study conducted in China reveals that people who are exposed to high levels of air pollution, caused by particulates produced by burning of coal, have a shortened lifespan.

The study was conducted between 2006 and 2011, in collaboration with health and economic experts from the University of Sao Paulo.

Source-AFP

Air Pollution Shoots Up the Risk of Death in Bronchiectasis Patients
Living close to a busy road is associated with a higher risk of death due to bronchiectasis, a new study revealed