Estimation of the PM2.5 health effects in China during 2000–2011

Wu, Jiansheng; Zhu, Jie; Li, Weifeng; Xu, Duo; Liu, Jianzheng

Estimation of the PM2.5 health effects in China during 2000–2011

2017

Wu, Jiansheng | Zhu, Jie | Li, Weifeng | Xu, Duo | Liu, Jianzheng

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) has been associated with mortality, but the extent of the adverse impacts differs across various regions. A quantitative estimation of health effects attributed to PM₂.₅ in China is urgently required, particularly because it has the largest population and high air pollution levels. Based on the remote sensing-derived PM₂.₅ and grid population data, we estimated the acute health effects of PM₂.₅ in China using an exposure-response function. The results suggest the following: (1) The proportion of the population exposed to high PM₂.₅ concentrations (>35 μg/m³) increased consistently from 2000 to 2011, and the population exposed to concentrations above the threshold defined by World Health Organization (WHO) (>10 μg/m³) rose from 1,191,191,943 to 1,290,562,965. (2) The number of deaths associated with PM₂.₅ exposure increased steadily from 107,608 in 2000 to 173,560 in 2010, with larger numbers in the eastern region. (3) PM₂.₅ health effects decreased in three pollution control scenarios estimated for 2017, i.e., the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) scenario, the APPCAP under WHO IT-1 scenario (35 μg/m³), and the APPCAP under WHO IT-3 scenario (15 μg/m³), which indicates that pollution control can effectively reduce PM₂.₅ effects on mortality.

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