Pollution is the world's No. 1 killer, a new study says, causing more premature deaths than war, terrorism, natural disasters, cigarettes and disease.
A new study in the medical journal Lancet said pollution -- both outdoor and indoor -- killed about 9 million people in 2017, or one out of every six deaths.
"Pollution threatens fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, health, well-being, safe work as well as protections of children and the most vulnerable," co-author Karti Sandilya said.
The study said the overwhelming majority of pollution-related deaths come in developing countries where the authors say leaders are more concerned about building their economies and infrastructure than environmental regulations.
Bangladesh, China, Haiti, India, Pakistan, North Korea and South Sudan are some of the most affected countries.
But one of the study's authors, Richard Fuller, said pollution is tied to slow economic development in wealthy and poor nations.
"There is this myth that finance ministers still live by, that you have to let industry pollute or else you won't develop. What people don't realize ... people who are sick or dead cannot contribute to the economy. They need to be looked after," Fuller said.
The study said the figure of 9 million premature deaths a year is a conservative estimate and that the actual number is likely to be much higher.
A separate World Bank study has said slashing pollution must be a priority, saying solving this problem would lead to solutions to other crises, including global warming and malnutrition.
一项新的研究显示，污染是现在世界上的第一大杀手，比战争、恐怖主义、自然灾害、吸烟和疾病都造成更多的早死。
在医学杂志“柳叶刀”上发表的新研究说，室内以及室外的污染在2017年造成大约900万人死亡，占所有死亡的大约六分之一。
新研究的共同作者桑迪尔亚说：“污染威胁基本人权，包括生命权、健康、幸福、安全工作以及对儿童和最弱势群体的保护。”
研究说，绝大部分污染造成的死亡发生在发展中国家。发展中国家的领导人更关心发展经济和基础设施建设，而不是对环境的监管。
孟加拉国、中国、海地、印度、巴基斯坦、朝鲜和南苏丹是一些受污染影响最严重的国家。
不过，作者之一福勒也指出，无论是富国还是穷国，污染都与经济发展缓慢相关。他说：“各国的财政部长往往会觉得，只能让产业污染环境，否则没有经济发展。但是大家没有意识到，病人和死人不能为经济发展做贡献。必须照顾好人。”
研究说，900万早死人口的数字是保守的估计，实际数字可能要高得多。
世界银行的一份报告说，治理污染必须作为当务之急。报告说，解决污染问题会有助于解决全球变暖和营养不良等其它危机。