opinionPollution has been linked to nine million deaths worldwide in 2015, a report in The Lancet has found. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, where pollution could account for up to a quarter of deaths. Air pollution had the biggest impact, accounting for two-thirds of deaths from pollution. Most of these deaths were caused by non-infectious diseases linked to pollution, such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. The next largest risk factor, water pollution, accounted for 1.8 million deaths, while pollution in the workplace was linked to 800,000 deaths globally.

Source: Sunday Times October 20, 2017 09:22 UTC