China could prevent 3 million deaths a year if air quality standards tightened, study suggests
Chinese researchers say enforcing World Health Organisation standards to reduce dangerous particles in smog would have huge impact on public health
China could prevent three million premature deaths a year if stricter air quality standards were adopted and enforced, according to a scientific study.
The lives would be saved if the mainland enforced World Health Organisation guidelines for the level of harmful particles in air pollution, a team led by Zhou Maigeng at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Their research was published on Wednesday in the British Medical Journal.
Many of China’s cities suffer from chronic air pollution and the government vowed three years ago to wage a war on smog.
The scientists studied daily mortality levels and concentrations of small particles in the air, PM10, in 38 large cities.