Study: Air Pollution Cutting Years Off Chinese Lives

A new study of China's soaring levels of industrial air pollution suggests the resulting conditions are cutting several years off the lives of people living in the country, especially in the northern regions.

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that utilized more than 20 years of data, and was headed by two economists in China, one in the United States and another in Israel, the life expectancy for residents in northern China is 5.5 years lower than those living in the southern area of the country because of toxic particulates in the air.

The research examined air quality readings taken in 90 different Chinese cities between 1981 and 2000 and then cross-referenced that information with the mortality data from 145 locations throughout the country from 1991 to 2000.

The study specifically divided causes of death into two categories: either non-cardiorespiratory or cardiorespiratory, the latter including respiratory illnesses and lung cancer, both of which are strongly connected with air quality.

Based on the new findings, researchers claim an estimated 500 million residents who lived north of the Huai River in the 1990s have collectively lost 2.5 billion years from their lives.

"It's a huge loss. Air pollution in China is really damaging people's health much more seriously than the findings in previous literature," said Yuyu Chen of Peking University, according to the Los Angeles Times. "After this study, there should be no argument over whether we should take the air pollution issue seriously...we need a comprehensive clean air act in China."

Researchers generally believe the air quality differences between the northern and southern regions, separated geographically by the Huai River, are a direct result of Mao-era economic policies, which subsidized free coal-burning heating systems in cities located north of the river, but denied use of the fuel in communities south of the river, were denied use of the fuel.

Those policy disparities ultimately created a control group of people who were exposed to "normal" air pollution levels, and those exposed to more, allowing a clear delineation through which to examine the effects of coal-burning.

Backers of the study indicated they hope the new information will help provide a stronger correlation between increased coal consumption and failing human health.