A recent study conducted by physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, has concluded that China's outdoor air pollution has become so severe that it is responsible for killing 4,400 people per day, accounting for 1.6 million deaths in the country per year.
The authors of the study belong to Berkeley Earth, a research organization based in California. The researchers employed a number of statistical methods to analyze the study's findings. According to the data, about three-eights of the entire Chinese population is currently breathing air that is "unhealthy" by international standards, reports The New York Times.
Among the most dangerous pollutants found in the air were small particles of haze, less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are responsible for causing problems in the heart and lungs. Other pollutants found in the air are also responsible for causing strokes, asthma, and even cancer, according to The Business Insider.
Robert Rohde, the leader of the study, has stated that the number of the Chinese population affected by air pollution is significant and alarming, especially in locations southwest of Beijing.
"It's a very big number. It's a little hard to wrap your mind around the numbers. Some of the worst in China is to the southwest of Beijing."
"To put Chinese air pollution in perspective, the most recent American Lung Association data shows that Madera, California, has the highest annual average for small particles in the United States. But 99.9 percent of the eastern half of China has a higher annual average for small particle haze than Madera," Rohde said.
"In other words, nearly everyone in China experiences air that is worse for particulates than the worst air in the U.S.," he added.
China has been battling air pollution lately, as shown in this HNGN article, when the country failed to meet the standards for air standards in 2014.
Air Pollution In China Kills 4,400 A Day, According To Study
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