Air pollution results in 7,700 premature deaths in Canada each year: report
OTTAWA — Air pollution cost Canadian families an estimated $36 billion in 2015 due to premature death and illness, a new research report says.
The report, Costs of Pollution in Canada, is a compilation of scientific data on all aspects of pollution, from smog to oil spills and fertilizer use. It is being released today by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
“The more scientists look at the costs of air pollution, the more they find those costs are large,” said Robert Smith, a senior associate at the institute and the report’s lead author.
A 2008 Canadian Medical Association study concluded that about 2,300 people die prematurely every year because of air pollution — a study once considered the gold standard, Smith said.