Have I Mentioned That PM2.5 Is Bad For You?

The evidence of the harm resulting from PM2.5 exposures keeps rolling in.  Earlier this month, Environmental Research published an article titled "Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem" (abstract available; full article requires purchase), which concluded that global annual mortality from PM2.5 exposure is roughly twice as high as previously estimated. 

Somehow, I don't think that this is going to persuade those who believe that a causal relationship between PM2.5 levels below the current NAAQS and increased mortality has not been established, but I do expect the evidence to continue to pile up – and I don't have any doubt that a decision by EPA to reduce the PM2.5 NAAQS would easily stand up to judicial review, even before our most conservative judges.