Breath of life

A 5 per cent reduction in fine particles polluting the air could extend the
average person’s lifespan by up to three days, according to a report from
Britain’s Department of Health. The figure is based on the 52 million people
living in England and Wales. But not everyone is equally susceptible to poor air
quality. If only one million are susceptible, they might live for up to six
months longer, while the rest of the population would be unaffected. “The size
of the effect is significantly less than that of smoking but is of a similar
order to the effect…