Although finally banned in the U.S. and other industrialized nations, leaded gasoline continues to be used in many developing countries where it is a continuing health risk. The Ozone Depletion Story History Ozone depletion is a deadly serious global environmental issue. But it also happens to be an environmental success story. Every year, some 64,000 people may die prematurely from cardiopulmonary causes linked to particulate air pollution, according to an NRDC analysis. Tens of thousands of these deaths could be averted each year if the EPA set stringent health standards for fine-particulate pollution.
Individuals can also take simple steps to reduce such pollution.