Air Pollution Kills Over Two Million People Each Year

A total of 14 models simulated levels of ozone and six models simulated levels of fine particulate matter.

According to the study, the number of these deaths that can be attributed to changes in the climate since the industrial era is, however, relatively small.

It estimated that a changing climate results in 1,500 deaths due to ozone and 2,200 deaths related to fine particulate matter each year.

Climate change affects air quality in many ways, possibly leading to local increases or decreases in air pollution, it said.

For instance, temperature and humidity can change the reaction rates which determine the formation or lifetime of a pollutant, and rainfall can determine the time that pollutants can accumulate.

Higher temperatures can also increase the emissions of organic compounds from trees, which can then react in the atmosphere to form ozone and particulate matter, said the study.

"Very few studies have attempted to estimate the effects of past climate change on air quality and health. We found that the effects of past climate change are likely to be a very small component of the overall effect of air pollution," West added.

Also Read: Air Pollution Claims 620,000 Lives in India: Study