Abstract
The average human takes between 15 and 20 breaths every minute. That is around 1000 breaths per hour, or 24,000 breaths per day. In doing so, they not only inhale the oxygen necessary to sustain life, but also a plethora of other gasses and particulates carried in our air. The present research was focused on gaining a better understanding of how airborne pollutants impact trends in public health. While there has been a great deal of research about the long-term health effects of air pollution, there is less literature available addressing the impacts of shorter-term fluctuations in pollutant concentrations. The relationship between acute exposure to elevated levels of Particulate Matter smaller than 2.5 microns across (PM2.5) and increased rates of death attributable to respiratory and cardiovascular disease was investigated in this study. Regression analyses showed statistically significant positive correlations between PM2.5 concentrations and deaths attributable to respiratory and cardiovascular disease in counties across the United States. These findings not only have implications to personal healthcare, but also to the broader regulatory landscape addressed by the Clean Air Act and similar legislation.