Watch: Crash Course in Soot Air Pollution [Video]

Several of our previous articles focused on soot pollution and on how these tiny particles released into the atmosphere mostly by coal power plants and the cars we drive ultimately impact on public health.

Here is a video which pretty much summarizes all there is to know about soot, and about its effects on the wellbeing of our respiratory system.

Dr. Christopher Lillis' account of soot air pollution brings forth some very interesting points.

First of all, soot particles are smaller than the diameter of a human hair, so people who are breathing them in are virtually unaware of their doing so.

Secondly, it seems that recent heat waves have caused changes in the atmospheric movement of soot particles, therefore making things worse for people already suffering from respiratory conditions.

The most interesting piece of information is that, ever since the Clean Air Act came into being in the US, average life expectancy for Americans rose by as much as six months, which only goes to show that human-driven pollution not only affects the environment, but also public health.