As Southern California continues to struggle through this summer’s unrelenting smog, a study released Wednesday, Aug. 10, gives a stark reminder of why air quality matters.

Researchers believe that hundreds of people die each year because of Southern California’s poor air quality. Pollution levels routinely exceed the levels deemed safe by health professionals.

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area, about 1,341 people are estimated to die each year because of bad air. MORE