1 in 6 deaths worldwide attributed to pollution: Review
ABC News
The analysis, led by an international team of scientists, indicates that pollution played a role in 9 million deaths globally in 2019.
One out of every six deaths in 2019 were attributed to pollution, according to a new estimate published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
The analysis, led by an international team of scientists, indicates that pollution played a role in 9 million deaths globally in 2019 -- the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. This impact on health is higher than malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, drugs or alcohol. Experts said it's not clear how the global pandemic will impact the analysis moving forward.
Despite improvements made in water pollution in recent years, a rise in air and chemical pollution means the death rate has been relatively unchanged since 2015. Air contamination alone contributed to an estimated 75% of the reported deaths.
"Air pollution is similar to smoking cigarettes. It damages the lungs, preventing us from absorbing oxygen we need for life," said Dr. Keith Martin, executive director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and co-author of the paper.
