10 state the year of smoke pollution during 19th century
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There is growing concern over the effects of atmospheric pollution on health. In 2016 WHO reported that 92% of the world’s population lives in in places where air pollution exceeds WHO limits (WHO 2016). It is calculated that outdoor air pollution accounts for three million deaths per year. And most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. The dense smog in China’s cities provides a sharp contrast to the relatively clean air of cities in the West.
In the 19th century dense smoke from factory chimneys left a signature in the form of an indelible black coating on the walls of cathedrals and town halls. But the effects on health are more difficult to measure. In a recent study, Beach and Hanlon (2016) assessed the effect of industrial coal combustion on mortality rates in 19th century Britain. To do so, they constructed a measure of industrial coal-use based on the occupational composition of different localities. This index is strongly correlated with local death rates, especially among those under five, and it accounts for one third of the urban mortality penalty.