Hospitalizations for several common diseases—including septicemia (serious bloodstream infection), fluid and electrolyte disorders, renal failure, urinary tract infections, and skin and tissue infections—have been linked for the first time with short-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ), according to a comprehensive new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In addition, the study found that even small increases in PM 2.5 exposure were linked with substantial health care and economic costs. The open-access study is published in BMJ . The study shows that the health dangers and economic impacts of air pollution are significantly larger than previously understood. —Yaguang Wei, a doctoral candidate at Harvard Chan School and lead author Fine particulate air pollution is composed of tiny solids and liquids floating in the air that come from sources such as motor vehicles, coal-fired power plants, and wildfires. Previous studies have shown that, […]