Study links ultrafine particles to 1.99 million deaths a year

Ultrafine air particles may be tied to about 1.99 million premature deaths worldwide each year, according to an international study published in Cardiovascular Research. The finding adds pressure for governments to set binding limits on a form of pollution too small to be seen but linked by the researchers to illness and death.

The study was led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and The Cyprus Institute. Cardiologists from Mainz University Medical Center were among the co-authors, according to the institutions involved.

Ultrafine particles, known as UFPs, are smaller than 100 nanometres. Because of their size, they are invisible to the naked eye, according to the researchers.

The research team estimated that exposure to ultrafine particles accounts for about 5% of all deaths from non-communicable diseases globally. Roughly half of the deaths attributed to UFP exposure are linked to cardiovascular disease, the researchers said.

The authors argue that the health burden from ultrafine particles is large enough to justify legally binding limit values. Their call reflects the study’s conclusion that UFPs make a substantial contribution to disease and mortality worldwide.

The study places cardiovascular disease at the center of the estimated toll. According to the researchers, about half of the deaths associated with ultrafine particle exposure fall into that category, underlining why cardiologists from Mainz University Medical Center were involved in the work.

The researchers did not describe ultrafine particles as visible pollution. Instead, they emphasized their extremely small size and their global health impact, estimating the annual death toll at nearly 2 million people.

This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.