Kate Andries, Capital News Service

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Long-term exposure to air pollution leads to a higher percentage of the population in Maryland to die prematurely than in any other state, according to a new study on the impact of air quality on health.

In a study released in late August, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that emissions from cars, trucks, industrial smokestacks, trains, boats and commercial heating systems contribute to the death of 113 people per 100,000 population per year in Maryland