A manual on the subject makes for grim reading. Burning fossil fuels like coal or diesel releases sulfur dioxide, which causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It also emits pollutants such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, lead and other suspended particulate matter. Carbon monoxide poisons the blood while lead damages red bloods cells, hurts the liver and kidneys and can cause neurological damage. Certain hydrocarbons are carcinogenic in high concentrations.
People breathing dirty air also suffer more colds, allergies, even certain strains of flu.
The toll in Asia is mounting. Cancer is now the number one killer in Taiwan, with lung cancer topping the list. Bangkok has lung cancer rates three times higher than the rest of the country, air pollution levels 14 times higher than international health standards and the sharpest decline in life expectancy in the region. One survey found that pollution is decreasing the life span of city residents from 80 to about 70. According to the Bangkok government, almost a third of the city's traffic cops suffer from lung disease and a fifth from breathing problems.