Study Finds Charleston Missing out on Cleaner Air

Cleaner air has allegedly extended U.S. lifespans -- but not around West Virginia's capital, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The newspaper cites a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers "found that, between 1978 and 2001, Americans' average life span increased almost three years to 77," the article said. "As much as 15 percent of that - or 4.8 months - could be attributed to cleaner air, study concluded."

"But in the Charleston area, particulate pollution levels dropped by only 4.3 microns per cubic meter, compared to the national average of 6.52 microns," the article continues. "The Charleston-area life expectancy increased by 1.9 years, compared to the national average of 2.72 years."

The article notes further that last month, "the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed the Charleston area on its list of areas that are not meeting a new EPA limit for very small particulate pollution."