Specific analysis of PM2.5-attributed disease burden in typical areas of Northwest China

Qin Liao; Zhenglei Li; Yong Li; Xuan Dai; Ning Kang; Yibo Niu; Yan Tao

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1338305

Specific analysis of PM_2.5-attributed disease burden in typical areas of Northwest China

Front Public Health. 2023 Dec 22:11:1338305. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1338305. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Qin Liao^{1

2}, Zhenglei Li², Yong Li³, Xuan Dai², Ning Kang², Yibo Niu^{1

2}, Yan Tao²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
² Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.

Abstract

Background: Frequent air pollution events in Northwest China pose a serious threat to human health. However, there is a lack of specific differences assessment in PM_2.5-related disease burden. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the PM_2.5-related premature deaths and health economic losses in this typical northwest region, taking into account disease-specific, age-specific, and region-specific factors.

Methods: We utilized the WRF-Chem model to simulate and analyze the characteristics and exposure levels of PM_2.5 pollution in Gansu Province, a typical region of Northwest China. Subsequently, we estimated the premature mortality and health economic losses associated with PM_2.5 by combining the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) and the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL).

Results: The results suggested that the PM_2.5 concentrations in Gansu Province in 2019 varied spatially, with a decrease from north to south. The number of non-accidental deaths attributable to PM_2.5 pollution was estimated to be 14,224 (95% CI: 11,716-16,689), accounting for 8.6% of the total number of deaths. The PM_2.5-related health economic loss amounted to 28.66 (95% CI: 23.61-33.63) billion yuan, equivalent to 3.3% of the regional gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke were the leading causes of PM_2.5-attributed deaths, contributing to 50.6% of the total. Older adult individuals aged 60 and above accounted for over 80% of all age-related disease deaths. Lanzhou had a higher number of attributable deaths and health economic losses compared to other regions. Although the number of PM_2.5-attributed deaths was lower in the Hexi Corridor region, the per capita health economic loss was higher.

Conclusion: Gansu Province exhibits distinct regional characteristics in terms of PM2.5 pollution as well as disease- and age-specific health burdens. This highlights the significance of implementing tailored measures that are specific to local conditions to mitigate the health risks and economic ramifications associated with PM_2.5 pollution.

Keywords: Northwestern China; PM2.5; economic loss; premature mortality; specific differences.

MeSH terms

Aged
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
China / epidemiology
Cost of Illness
Environmental Pollution
Humans
Particulate Matter

Substances

Particulate Matter

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Gansu Province (21YF5FA109), the Youth Science and Technology Fund Program of Gansu Province (20JR5RA574), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022434).