Singapore: Between 1980 and 2020, human-caused air pollution caused 135 million deaths worldwide, a new study has found.
According to researchers at the Singapore-based Ninyang Technological University (NTU), weather patterns such as El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole have increased the amount of these pollutants in the air, exacerbating their effects.
Fine particles called particulate matter 2.5 or PM 2.5, when inhaled into the human body, cause great harm to health, because being so fine, they can easily enter the bloodstream.
These particles enter the atmosphere as a result of natural causes such as fires and sandstorms, in addition to emissions from vehicles and industries.
In a statement about the research published in the Journal Environment International, scientists said that between 1980 and 2020, these fine particles have caused an estimated 135 million premature deaths.
Research has shown that preventable or treatable diseases, including stroke, heart and lung disease, and cancer, are leading to premature death.
According to the research, deaths due to weather patterns have increased by 14 percent.
