Air Pollution Levels Approved by EU Caused Early Deaths Posted on December 10, 2013by premiereenvironmental

A recent report has shown that air pollution is causing premature deaths in the European Union even when levels meet the quality guidelines. Scientists found that there is a higher-than-normal risk of death in areas where pollution was much lower than the limit set by the European Union.

The study was published by the British Medical Association’s journal The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and best known general medical journals. Europeans that have had prolonged exposure to pollution from road traffic and industrial activities have a higher risk of premature death. The increased chance to a person’s health is related to tiny particles of soot and dust that can get lodged in the lungs and cause respiratory illnesses. The results of this study reflect similar investigations carried out in China and North America.

The study, which was conducted by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, discovered that the particle measure 2.5 microns. Exposure for a few months to those particles can increase the risk of premature death significantly. Rob Beelen, who led the study, said to the RT network that “although this doesn’t seem to be much, you have to keep in mind that everybody is exposed to some level of air pollution and that it is not voluntary exposure, in contrast to, for instance, smoking.” Part of the research was to drew on 22 previously published studies, which documented the health of 367,000 people in 13 countries in Western Europe over

14 years. Beelen then traveled to these areas with a team and measured the traffic pollution to see how much pollution local residents were exposed to. They also took into account factors such as physical exercise, body mass, smoking habits and education.

The World Health Organization has ranked outdoor pollution as one of the main causes of cancer and estimates that around 3.2 million people die every year as a result of prolonged exposure worldwide.

The exposure of deathly particles means that it is even more important to keep your home clean. Besides protesting for resetting the safety limits of air pollution or wearing a mask when you are outside, there is not much you can do when you are outside of your home. This is why indoor air quality is as important as never before. Especially if you’re living in a big city, you can see how dusty your house gets within a few days. Our indoor air cleaning system will help you to keep your home as clean as possible!