"Robust Evidence" Links Spiking Ground-Level Ozone With Deaths & Disease In China
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Rising ozone pollution in China’s cities has emerged as a major health risk, causing a rise in deaths from strokes and heart disease among vulnerable residents, according to a new study by a team of Chinese researchers.
Data from 272 Chinese cities between 2013 and 2015 showed “robust evidence” linking rising short-term ozone exposure with increased mortality from cardiovascular and heart diseases as well as strokes, according to a paper published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.
Ground-level ozone, also known as photochemical smog, is caused by the interaction of sunlight with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the vast amounts of uncontrolled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by burning fossil fuels or producing chemicals.
China is waging a “war on pollution” to reverse the environmental damage done by nearly four decades of untrammelled economic growth. But much of the focus has been on reducing concentrations of small airborne particles known as PM2.5, especially in winter.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-ozone/rising-chinese-ozone-levels-cause-higher-mortality-study-idUSKBN1DR0LO
