Pollution clouds the skyline of Chicago's skyscrapers, July 9, 2020. - Chicago Tribune / TNS / Sipa USA / SIP

Unsurprisingly, a study by the Institute of Energy Policy at the University of Chicago highlights the harmful effect of poor air quality on health. Relayed by France Inter, the figures, published on Wednesday, show that particle pollution has reduced life expectancy in the world by nearly two years in twenty years. "Air pollution was the greatest risk to human life" before Covid-19 and it will continue to be afterwards, researchers say.

NEW: We just published our Air Quality Life Index Annual Report. See our latest research and findings in #AirPollution: https://t.co/RlLvMm9ZJU#AQLI pic.twitter.com/uiwWZ0WT6o

- Energy Policy Institute at UChicago (@UChiEnergy) July 28, 2020

5-year reduction in South Asia

In particular, these figures are only an average and the countries are not all in the same boat. The most affected are found mainly in South Asia: India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. In this part of the world where 44% of the world's population lives, life expectancy has even fallen by 5 years. The air there is so polluted, with regard to the thresholds set by the World Health Organization, that it is as dangerous to walk outside as to smoke. The congested roads of big cities like New Delhi and the massive use of coal are the main causes of these bad figures.

US likely to trail other rich nations in life expectancy by 2030 https://t.co/gClWuhCfbe #LifeExpectancy #Healthcare pic.twitter.com/WDJG81HVEJ

- World Economic Forum (@wef) July 19, 2020

The only positive finding made by the University of Chicago: data from China. While the country has been in constant and rapid development for twenty years, the authorities have taken the necessary measures since 2013 to reduce emissions of fine particles. “In the space of five years” the country has reduced pollution by 40%. If this trend is confirmed, residents will have gained an average of two years of life expectancy.

Planet

Post office vehicles and buildings in Ile-de-France equipped with sensors to measure pollution

Lyon

Towards a ban on the most polluting private vehicles in Lyon?

  • Fine particles
  • Environment
  • Pollution
  • Health
  • Planet