PM 2.5 can play a role in heart disease, stroke, and lung ailments such as emphysema and cancer.Another study published by the university last year had found that air pollution in northern China had cut life expectancy by three years compared with the south of the country. "We don't have a historical example of a country achieving such rapid reductions in air pollution. Baoding, China's most polluted city as of 2015, cut pollution by 38 percent, adding 4.5 years of life. Delays to installations of the new electric heating systems meant it was slightly warmer in the weak winter sunshine than in the frigid classrooms.Greenstone said he hoped to see China move towards more market-based environmental regulations. He recommended measures such as setting up cap-and-trade markets for particulates and beefing up pollution taxes.

Source: Economic Times March 13, 2018 07:30 UTC