Twin Cities Air Pollution Kills 2,000 a Year, New State Analysis Shows

"State analysis says pollution takes greater toll on elderly, those in poverty."

"Air pollution in the Twin Cities contributes to about 2,000 premature deaths every year, and sends 1,000 people to the hospital for asthma, lung and heart disease treatments.

It is particularly bad for the elderly, people of color and those living in poverty because they are more likely to suffer from the health conditions aggravated by air pollution, according to a joint analysis released Monday by the Minnesota Health Department and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

It is the first time the state has conducted such a detailed study of the metro-wide health impacts from two kinds of pollution — ozone, which causes smog, and microscopic particles produced by combustion in everything from industry to backyard fires. In all, 6 to 13 percent of deaths in the metropolitan area were partly caused by one or both of those pollutants, similar to death rates from accidents and Alzheimer’s disease."

Josephine Marcotty reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune July 13, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Nearly 9,500 People Die Each Year in London Because of Air Pollution – Study" (Guardian)