image: County-level premature deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposures in China in 2000 and 2010. The small box shows the islands in the South China Sea. view more
Credit: Image credit: Yang Liu.
A study examines the link between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and mortality burden. The mortality burden from PM2.5 exposure is difficult to assess due to limited data on long-term exposure. To determine PM2.5 concentration trends and associated mortality burdens in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan between 2000 and 2016, Yang Liu, Dongfeng Gu, and colleagues combined satellite data with air pollution emission indicators as well as data on land cover, meteorological conditions, and road networks. Beijing, Tianjin, and southern Hebei experienced the highest concentrations of PM2.5, whereas relatively low concentrations were found in the rural areas of northern Inner Mongolia, southeastern Tibet, and western Sichuan. The lowest PM2.5 levels occurred in 2000, although levels peaked in 2013 before declining through 2016. Whereas the highest per-capita deaths in China occurred in Hebei, Henan, Shandong, and Tianjin, the lowest per-capita deaths occurred in Hainan, Macao, and Taiwan. Decreased PM2.5 concentration levels were correlated with decreased annual mortality burdens in 2013 through 2016. Overall, long-term exposure to PM2.5 accounted for 30.8 million premature deaths of individuals at least 25 years of age between 2000 and 2016, with the annual mortality burden ranging from 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths. The findings highlight the need for assessing health effects attributed to air pollution in highly polluted regions, according to the authors.
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Article #19-19641: "The 17-y spatiotemporal trend of PM2.5 and its mortality burden in China," by Fengchao Liang et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Yang Liu, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; tel: 404-727-2131; e-mail: yang.liu@emory.edu
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences