How Air Pollution is Aging People Faster
Emerging science reveals how everyday exposures, from wildfire smoke to household pollution, speed up aging at the cellular level.
Farmer Rajendra Kamble and his wife Sunita work in fields constantly exposed to pollution from nearby factories. Rajendra points to the white-tiled floor of his house, which turns grey with soot from the burning of agricultural residue in nearby sugarcane nurseries by evening.
After more than a decade of inhaling this smoke, his health got much worse. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) seven years ago, followed by hyperthyroidism two years later.
"I am 55 now, but I feel much older,"
he said. Doctors and community healthcare workers told him that constant exposure to polluted air was not only harming his health but also making him age faster.
Author summary: Air pollution accelerates aging.