Reductions in fine particle pollution have improved public health in the US

A new report from the American Thoracic Society and the Marron Institute at NYU has revealed that air quality improvements over the last decade have resulted in fewer deaths and serious illnesses across the United States. While the study was focused on the two most potent air pollutants, fine particle (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone (O3), the progress can be almost entirely attributed to reductions in PM2.5 pollution. According to the researchers, fatalities from dangerous levels of PM2.5 were nearly cut in half from 2008 to 2017. …