It is estimated that air pollution causes several hundred thousand deaths a year around the world. Although there is some controversy over the magnitude, some highly regarded academic experts have estimated that even with the US Clean Air Act, among the most stringent air quality laws in the world, as many as fifty thousand Americans annually die prematurely as a result of air pollution. Perhaps the leading cause of air pollution related death in both industrialized and developing countries is particulate matter - soot and dirt particles that cause respiratory failure. Another major health concern is ground level ozone often experienced as urban smog. This can cause premature death and is the source of considerable discomfort and lost workdays in cities around the world. Lead emissions from gasoline have impaired intelligence of children and this realization has caused many countries to move toward a phase out of lead in fuels. Sulfur dioxide emissions may place asthmatics and others with respiratory disease at risk. Generally the elderly and children are the most vulnerable groups. Just over 50 years ago the US was shaken by an air pollution disaster in Donora, a small Western Pennsylvania town that claimed 50 lives in a few days. Air pollution today poses risks to millions worldwide, especially children in the world's largest cities. A symposium held in Washington, DC in February 2000 highlighted the gravity of the air pollution problem in China. Español,
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