This graphic below shows how many people die each year when the average amount of PM2.5 in the area is at different levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say China has a bad year, and air pollution goes from 125 to 150 micrograms. Based on China\u2019s population, that\u2019d mean 60,000 more people will die.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of people. But that same increase\u201425 micrograms\u2014would\u00a0<\/span>kill almost twice as many people<\/span>\u00a0(per capita) if it happened in a cleaner city like Paris or Seoul.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And here\u2019s why that stats quirk actually matters for real life. Oddly enough, it\u2019s that first 15 or 20 micrograms that damage us the most. That\u2019s why people in cities with lower pollution level should be worried.<\/span><\/p>\n