A study by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University has found that air pollution caused by man-made emissions and wildfires was responsible for 135 million premature deaths worldwide between 1980 and 2020. The tiny particles, known as particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5), enter the bloodstream and can lead to diseases such as stroke, heart and lung disease, and cancer. The study also found that weather patterns intensified the concentration of these pollutants, increasing the number of premature deaths by 14%. Asia had the highest number of premature deaths from PM 2.5 pollution, with over 98 million people affected in countries like China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.