Popular Science Article on Air Quality

An article in Popular Science by Sara Chodosh and Kendra Pierre-Louis titled "Here's how air pollution kills 3,450,000 people a year" discusses a recently released study on air pollution and premature death. The study, published in Nature, shows that approximately 12% of premature deaths were caused by air pollution released elsewhere in the world. Particulate matter that is 2.5 microns and smaller (PM2.5) is especially problematic because of its ability to transfer from the lungs to the cardiovascular system. The article also indicates that the Clean Power Plan, which President Trump just rescinded, would not only have had significant benefits in terms of greenhouse gas reductions, but it also would have significantly reduced PM2.5, saving lives.