"Global Pollution Kills 9 Million A Year And Threatens ‘Survival Of Human Societies’" - Damian Carrington
Pollution kills at least nine million people and costs trillions of dollars every year, according to the most comprehensive global analysis to date, which warns the crisis “threatens the continuing survival of human societies.” Toxic air, water, soils, and workplaces are responsible for the diseases that kill one in every six people around the world, the landmark report found, and the true total could be millions higher because the impact of many pollutants are poorly understood. The deaths attributed to pollution are triple those from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Published in The Lancet, the study is part of a two-year project that involved more than 40 international health and environmental authors led by Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, professor of environmental medicine and public health, pediatrics and dean for global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Landrigan said, “We fear that with nine million deaths a year, we are pushing the envelope on the amount of pollution the Earth can carry.” For example, he said, air pollution deaths in south-east Asia are on track to double by 2050. “Pollution has not received nearly as much attention as climate change, or AIDS or malaria – it is the most underrated health problem in the world,” Dr. Landrigan added.
- Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, Professor, Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Pediatrics, Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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