A new study suggests that regulating air pollution in Southeast Asia could significantly reduce ozone-related premature deaths by 2050.
Ozone is a pollutant that is especially harmful to people with asthma, heart disease, and other illnesses. According to Nanyang Technological University, the study's key metric, ozone-related premature deaths, means deaths caused by high levels of ground-level ozone.
Researchers at NTU Singapore analyzed a few scenarios: business as usual, increased air pollution, and decreased air pollution. Continuing the status quo would reduce deaths by 22,000 a year by 2050. But regulating air pollution even more would prevent 36,000 deaths per year by 2050.
Most ozone pollution occurs in areas of biogenic and road transport emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency defines biogenic emissions as "emissions that come from natural sources" such as plants and animals.
Southeast Asia also experiences a lot of transboundary air pollution. TAP is when pollutants circulate and affect places far from where they were emitted.
The study calls for Southeast Asia to form a collaborative framework within and outside the region to decrease air pollution. By lowering emissions, it can do some serious work to save many lives.
The journey doesn't stop now that the study has ended. The NTU Singapore researchers hope to continue their work to encourage policymakers to make smart health and environmental decisions. The more analysis that happens in the field, the better decision-makers can inform their choices.
"Ozone is an invisible yet harmful pollutant," said Joseph Sung, a distinguished university professor, the senior vice president of health and life sciences at NTU, and dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. "Our study shows that by taking decisive steps now, we can significantly reduce the region's health burden and improve air quality."
|
Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes — always 💯 
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
