Comparison of metropolitan cities for mortality rates attributed to ambient air pollution using the AirQ model

In the present study, the air pollution dynamics of the metropolitan cities of Balıkesir, Bursa, Istanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Tekirdağ in the Marmara Region, which is the geographical region with the highest urban and industrial activity in Turkey, were examined for the time period between 2016 and 2019. Annual changes in the cities in terms of air pollution, which was examined with a focus on the PM₂.₅ parameter as indicated by United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); differences in the cities by years; and the seasonal changes in air pollution in the cities were investigated. Additionally, mortality rates attributed to air pollution were calculated with the AirQ + software based on integrated exposure–response function recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN using city-scale statistics of fatal disease cases that can be attributed to air pollution. It was determined that all cities in the Marmara Region study area exceeded the limit PM₂.₅ values specified by the European Union (EU) in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 while only Kocaeli and Tekirdağ were below the limit values in 2019. The limit values specified by the WHO were exceeded in all cities in each year. A total of 46,920 premature deaths attributed to the exceedance of WHO limit values were calculated for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with 11,895, 13,853, 11,748 and 9,429, respectively. Determining national limit values for the PM₂.₅ parameter, which is among the most important factors of air pollution, and monitoring it in a sustainable manner using a sufficient number of well-equipped stations is of great importance. This way, national, regional and urban action plans regarding the impact of air pollution on human health, as indicated by UN SDGs, can be prepared.