Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and near-surface ozone (O3) are the main atmospheric pollutants in China. Long-term exposure to high ozone concentrations adversely affects human health. It is of great significance to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal evolution mechanism and health effects of ozone pollution. Based on the ozone data of 91 monitoring stations in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration from 2017 to 2020, the research used Kriging method and spatial autocorrelation analysis to investigate the spatiotemporal variations of ozone concentration. Additionally, the study assessed the health effects of ozone on the population using the population exposure risk model and exposure-response relationship model. The results indicated that: (1) The number of premature deaths caused by ozone pollution in the warm season were 37,053 at 95% confidence interval (95% CI: 28,190-45,930) in 2017, 37,685 (95% CI: 28,669-46,713) in 2018, and 37,655 (95% CI: 28,647-46,676) in 2019. (2) The ozone concentration of the Central Plains urban agglomeration showed a decreasing trend throughout the year and during the warm season from 2017 to 2020, there are two peaks monthly, one is June, and the other is September. (3) In the warm season, the high-risk areas of population exposure to ozone in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration were mainly concentrated in urban areas. In general, the population exposure risk of the south is lower than that of the north. The number of premature deaths attributed to ozone concentration during the warm season has decreased, but some southern cities such as Xinyang and Zhumadian have also seen an increase in premature deaths. China has achieved significant results in air pollution control, but in areas with high ozone concentrations and high population density, the health burden caused by air pollution remains heavy, and stricter air pollution control policies need to be implemented.
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