Study Suggests Particulate (Diesel) Pollution Causes Premature Death
A recent study of Americans in 151 cities suggests (again) that particulate air pollution is a major cause of premature death. The study is one of the largest ever conducted on air pollution and public health. Death rates in the most polluted city studied were 15% higher than in the cleanest city. New York City has one of only a few parts of the U.S. formally exceeding federal emission standards for particulate pollution, mostly because of diesel buses and trucks. But even in cities meeting federal standards, the risk of death is 3% to 8% higher than in the cleanest cities. The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham Young University. NY Newsday, NY Times
