BEIJING (Reuters) - Microscopic pollutant particles in the air have killed some 8,600 people prematurely this year and cost $1 billion in economic losses in four Chinese cities, according to a study by Beijing University and Greenpeace.
The study of pollutant levels of PM2.5, or particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an called for PM2.5 levels to be cut to World Health Organisation guidelines, which would reduce deaths by over 80 percent, the China Daily newspaper said on Wednesday.
PM2.5 particles are known to damage the lungs and cardiovascular systems, cause lung cancer and other diseases, being small enough to settle directly in the respiratory system.
