Preterm Births Linked to Air Pollution Cost Billions in the U.S. – Time Magazine

“Affected populations tend to be concentrated in low-income areas home to large numbers of minorities

Air pollution leads to 16,000 premature births in the United States each year, leading to billions of dollars in economic costs, according to new research.

Researchers behind the study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that preterm births associated with particulate matter—a type of pollutant—led to more than $4 billion in economic costs in 2010 due to medical care and lost productivity that results from disability. And, like many other public health issues, affected populations tend to be concentrated in low-income areas home to large numbers of minorities.

“This is another piece of the evidentiary pie about why we should really be doing something about air pollution,” says Tracey Woodruff, a professor who studies reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco. “When you reduce air pollution you get lots of different health benefits.” Time Magazine. Read it on delhiair.org.

Preterm Births Linked to Air Pollution Cost Billions in the U.S.