A new study from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) indicates that fine particulate matter, which is less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), is increasingly impacting the rapidly aging Korean population. Due to this population aging, PM2.5-related premature deaths are projected to be more than three times higher by 2050 than they are today if PM2.5 exposure persists. A research team of Professor Hyung Joo Lee and MSc student Na Rae Kim from the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at POSTECH has projected the number of deaths by 2050 based on the combined effects of PM2.5 and the aging population. They also suggested the concentration of PM2.5 needed to maintain the current PM2.5-related health burden. The study was recently published in the journal Environmental Research.
Source: https://phys.org/