Current scientific evidence, derived largely from studies in North America
and western Europe, indicates that air pollution from the combustion of fossil
fuels causes a spectrum of health effects from eye irritation to death. Recent
assessments suggest that the public health impacts may be considerable. This
evidence has increasingly been used by national and international agencies to
inform environmental policies, and quantification of the impact of air pollution
on the public health has increasingly became a critical component in the
policy discussion as governments weigh options for pollution control.