The dynamics of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths attributed to long-term PM2.5 exposures in global megacities

Lili Zhang; John P Wilson; Na Zhao; Wenhao Zhang; Yu Wu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156951

The dynamics of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths attributed to long-term PM_2.5 exposures in global megacities

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Oct 10:842:156951. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156951. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Authors

Lili Zhang¹, John P Wilson², Na Zhao³, Wenhao Zhang⁴, Yu Wu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, USA; State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Zhongke Langfang Institute of Spatial Information Applications, Langfang, Hebei 065001, China.
² Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, USA; State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: jpwilson@usc.edu.
³ State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environment Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: zhaon@lreis.ac.cn.
⁴ North China Institute of Aerospace Engineering, Langfang, Hebei 065000, China.
⁵ Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.

PMID: 35753463
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156951

Abstract

Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution is a significant driver of premature deaths. We estimate the number of cardiovascular and respiratory (CR) premature deaths attributed to long-term exposure to PM_2.5 in 33 global megacities based on long-term remotely sensed observations from 2000 to 2019. Our analysis uses high-resolution (0.01 degree) PM_2.5 concentration data and cause-specific integrated exposure-response (IER) functions developed for the Global Burden of Disease Project. From 2000 to 2019, PM_2.5-related CR death rates per 1000 people increased in 6 of 33 megacities, decreased in 9, and remained constant in 18 megacities. The increase in PM_2.5-related CR mortality in 11 megacities located in South and East Asia during the period 2000-2019 can be attributed to the increases in PM_2.5 concentrations. All 33 megacities could avoid 30,248 (9 %), 62,989 (20 %), 128,457 (40 %), 198,462 (62 %) and all of the estimated 322,515 CR deaths attributed to PM_2.5 pollution in 2019 if they were to attain the World Health Organization's four interim PM_2.5 targets (IT-1, IT-2, IT-3, and IT-4) and the new air quality guideline (AQG), respectively. Major improvements in air quality are needed to reduce the number of CR deaths attributed to PM_2.5 in South and East Asia, in addition to ny reductions that would likely follow shifts in the population structures of these megacities moving forward.

Keywords: Cardiovascular and respiratory deaths; Health benefits; Megacities; PM(2.5); WHO air quality targets.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / adverse effects
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
Cities
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Mortality, Premature
Particulate Matter / adverse effects
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter