Pollution Causes Thousands of Premature Deaths

"Pollution could be causing up to 25,000 premature deaths in Canada each year and burdening the health care system with up to $9.1-billion annually in extra costs, according to a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta. The study is one of the first to estimate the largely preventable health toll in Canada caused by the widespread exposure to air pollution, hazardous chemicals and pesticides, although the World Health Organization has conducted similar research this year and also concluded that environmental factors cause thousands of premature deaths in Canada each year. The research was published online this week in the journal Environmental Research, and also estimated that pollution is responsible for between 8,000 and 24,000 new cases of cancer and 500 to 2,500 low birth-weight babies annually. The estimated health toll from environmental causes is a controversial subject and hard to calculate precisely, but is based on research indicating that a portion of such common illnesses as cancers, respiratory diseases and heart problems are linked to pollutants." Martin Mittelstaedt reports for the Toronto Globe and Mail 10/3/07. Read it here: