Ozone air pollution linked to deaths

Ozone air pollution is linked to a million premature deaths across the world each year, according to figures which show this is more than double previous estimates.

Scientists at the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) have released figures showing long-term outdoor exposure to ozone air pollution is linked to about one in five respiratory deaths globally.

The levels are substantially larger than previous estimatesfrom2003which suggested 400,000 premature respiratory deaths.

The findings, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, were based on results from a recent US analysis of the association of longterm ozone exposure and respiratory mortality in 670,000 adults.