A new study reveals new details about the effects of air pollution on the human body. The study, out of China, finds that air pollution from industrial sources increases levels of five different stress hormones: cortisol, cortisone, epinephrine and norepinephrine. It also caused negative metabolic changes, including increases in blood sugar, amino acids, fatty acids and lipids. All of these effects were lessened by air purification systems. The study used conditions of 53 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter of air, well above levels in the U.S. but typical of pollution levels in some other parts of the world.

John R. Platt

is the editor of The Revelator and an award-winning environmental journalist whose work has appeared in dozens of publications around the world. His “Extinction Countdown” column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

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