Air pollution is now far more lethal than smoking, according to a report published on June 19th under the auspices of UNICEF, reports AFP.

Over eight million people, including 700,000 children under the age of five, died in 2021 from causes associated with air pollution, according to this study conducted by scientists from the American Health Effects Institute.

The results are based on the Global Burden Disease database, a gigantic repository of information from over 200 countries. They have not yet been published in any scientific journal.

At the reported mortality levels, exposure to atmospheric pollution now poses a greater threat than smoking or an inadequate diet.

In most cases, deaths associated with air pollution are linked to inhaling fine PM2.5 particles - particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns.

These particles contribute to numerous diseases: lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.

The authors of the report highlight the increasingly lethal role of ozone pollution, fueled by episodes associated with climate warming.

"We observe an increasing number of regions in the world exposed to very short and intense episodes of air pollution", researcher Pallavi Pant, a member of the Health Effects Institute, told AFP, mentioning wildfires and severe heatwaves.

In the case of infant mortality, it is primarily related to the use of problematic fuels - coal, wood - in kitchens, especially in Asia and Africa.

"We know we can solve these kinds of problems", insisted Pallavi Pant.

Efforts have already been made to facilitate access to less dangerous cooking techniques, which has significantly contributed to a more than half reduction in infant mortality related to air pollution since 2000, according to the report.