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- Title
Reversal of trends in global fine particulate matter air pollution.
- Authors
Li, Chi; van Donkelaar, Aaron; Hammer, Melanie S.; McDuffie, Erin E.; Burnett, Richard T.; Spadaro, Joseph V.; Chatterjee, Deepangsu; Cohen, Aaron J.; Apte, Joshua S.; Southerland, Veronica A.; Anenberg, Susan C.; Brauer, Michael; Martin, Randall V.
- Abstract
Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the world's leading environmental health risk factor. Quantification is needed of regional contributions to changes in global PM2.5 exposure. Here we interpret satellite-derived PM2.5 estimates over 1998-2019 and find a reversal of previous growth in global PM2.5 air pollution, which is quantitatively attributed to contributions from 13 regions. Global population-weighted (PW) PM2.5 exposure, related to both pollution levels and population size, increased from 1998 (28.3 μg/m3) to a peak in 2011 (38.9 μg/m3) and decreased steadily afterwards (34.7 μg/m3 in 2019). Post-2011 change was related to exposure reduction in China and slowed exposure growth in other regions (especially South Asia, the Middle East and Africa). The post-2011 exposure reduction contributes to stagnation of growth in global PM2.5-attributable mortality and increasing health benefits per µg/m3 marginal reduction in exposure, implying increasing urgency and benefits of PM2.5 mitigation with aging population and cleaner air. Global fine particulate matter air pollution recently pivots from increase to decrease as inferred from satellite observations, driven by unprecedented exposure reduction in China and slowed exposure growth in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
- Subjects
SOUTH Asia; MIDDLE East; PARTICULATE matter; ENVIRONMENTAL health; OLDER people; AIR pollution; ENVIRONMENTAL risk; POPULATION aging
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2023, Vol 14, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-023-41086-z