Polluted Air Ages Human Lungs, Scientists Say
University of Leicester: polluted air ages lungs by 2 years and quadruples COPD risk when PM2.5 exceeds 10 micrograms per cubic meter.
University of Leicester: polluted air ages lungs by 2 years and quadruples COPD risk when PM2.5 exceeds 10 micrograms per cubic meter.
Polluted air can age the lungs by up to two years and increase the risk of fatal lung diseases. Pollutants from vehicle exhausts and factory emissions are behind many cases of COPD. This is the second most common lung disease after asthma.
The University of Leicester analyzed pollutant levels in the air, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and tiny PM10 and PM2.5 particles. These enter the lungs and bloodstream through the nose. The data was compared with lung disease prevalence statistics. It turned out that people living in regions where pollution exceeded 10 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter were four times more likely to develop COPD than victims of passive smoking.
It was calculated that pollutants on average shorten life expectancy by 6 months and prevent children's lungs from developing properly. For every five-microgram-per-cubic-meter increase in PM2.5 concentration in the air over a year, lung function declines at a rate comparable to two years of aging.
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