High levels of tiny air pollutants pose a serious health risk and are clearly linked with premature deaths over the long term, the lead researcher of a new Canadian study says.
The research focused on ultrafine particles that are produced when fossil fuels are burned through industrial activities and vehicles, airplanes, trains and other forms of transportation, said Scott Weichenthal, associate professor at McGill University in Montreal.
“We saw very consistent relationship with mortality for heart and lung disease as well as for lung cancer,” Weichenthal said about the new study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, in an interview with CTV’s Your Morning on Friday. “Levels can still be quite high for these particles particularly if you live near busy roadways.”
The study linked about 1,100 premature deaths per year to ultrafine particles, which are unregulated …