A study published in the journal Environmental Research has found that parts of China, India, Europe, and the northeastern United States are experiencing a disproportionately high number of annual deaths, totaling 8.7 million, due to fossil fuel air pollution. This research provides the most detailed assessment of premature deaths caused by fossil fuels to date. A previous study in 2017 had estimated the annual number of deaths from all outdoor airborne particulate matter, including dust and smoke from agricultural burns and wildfires, at 4.2 million. Eloise Marais, an atmospheric chemistry expert at University College London and co-author of the study, expressed surprise at the large estimate of deaths attributed to air pollution. Previous research had difficulty distinguishing pollution from burning fossil fuels from other sources of harmful particulates like wildfires or dust. A group of researchers from three British universities and Harvard University aimed to address the issue by utilizing a high-resolution model to identify the types of pollutants present in a specific area. As concerns mount regarding the impact of burning fossil fuels on climate change, the authors of the study, which utilized 2018 data, expressed hope that it would encourage governments to expedite the transition to cleaner energy sources. Co-author Joel Schwartz, an environmental epidemiologist at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, stated, "We aim to highlight the health risks associated with fossil fuel combustion in order to emphasize the advantages of shifting towards alternative energy sources to policymakers and stakeholders."