Tiny pollution particles raise death rates in major cities
A study of the nation’s 20 largest cities links tiny fine particles less than one-fifth the width of a hair to higher daily death rates. For each 10 micrograms per cubic meter rise in 24 hours, deaths increase by about 0.5 percent, with Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago showing high daily totals. The research supports EPA limits set in 1979 and revised in 1997, now under review by the Supreme Court on regulatory costs.