I am reading a module titled Sociology of Deviance this semester, whereby topics surrounding crime and criminology are discussed. This got me thinking about the relationship between crime and air pollution. And before I knew it, I was delving into the depths of websites and research articles highlighting the positive correlation between these two variables – something I never knew about.
Breathing polluted air not only makes us sick, but it could also even indirectly account for the proportion of criminal behavior within a society. This is especially so on days when air pollution levels dip below safety standards. Researchers from Colorado State University found that a 0.01 parts-per-million increase in same-day exposure to ozone is associated with a 0.97% increase in violent crime or a 1.15% increase in assaults.