Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China

Abstract Effective abatement of air-pollution-induced health damages requires a comprehensive understanding of the changing roles of individual sources and cross-regional transport. Here, we estimate premature mortality attributable to specific source categories, precursor species, and regions withi...

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Main Authors: Weiyang Hu, Bo Zheng, Daven K. Henze, Ni Lu, Xiaolin Wang, Lin Zhang, Tzung-May Fu, Yu Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00869-x
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author Weiyang Hu
Bo Zheng
Daven K. Henze
Ni Lu
Xiaolin Wang
Lin Zhang
Tzung-May Fu
Yu Zhao
author_facet Weiyang Hu
Bo Zheng
Daven K. Henze
Ni Lu
Xiaolin Wang
Lin Zhang
Tzung-May Fu
Yu Zhao
author_sort Weiyang Hu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Effective abatement of air-pollution-induced health damages requires a comprehensive understanding of the changing roles of individual sources and cross-regional transport. Here, we estimate premature mortality attributable to specific source categories, precursor species, and regions within mainland China. We find that the marginal national premature deaths, dominated by PM2.5 exposure, have declined from 151,842 per 10% growth of emissions in 2013 to 111,271 in 2020, and would further to 54,293 in 2035 following a carbon peaking and carbon neutrality pathway. The impacts of certain species-category combinations have grown including NOX from industrial combustion and off-road traffic. The proportions of cross-provincial to marginal health burden have remained stable at around 50%. Provinces with net exporting of premature deaths were intensively located in the north of China while those with net importing were in the south. Our findings highlight the need for a location-precursor/sector-specific strategy of emission controls in China’s public health regulatory framework.
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issn 2397-3722
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series npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
spelling doaj-art-8986be52fd4c4535bbb982a62e53e7602025-08-20T01:59:40ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222024-12-017111110.1038/s41612-024-00869-xHealth burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in ChinaWeiyang Hu0Bo Zheng1Daven K. Henze2Ni Lu3Xiaolin Wang4Lin Zhang5Tzung-May Fu6Yu Zhao7State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse and School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Rd.Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado BoulderLaboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking UniversityJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityLaboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse and School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Rd.Abstract Effective abatement of air-pollution-induced health damages requires a comprehensive understanding of the changing roles of individual sources and cross-regional transport. Here, we estimate premature mortality attributable to specific source categories, precursor species, and regions within mainland China. We find that the marginal national premature deaths, dominated by PM2.5 exposure, have declined from 151,842 per 10% growth of emissions in 2013 to 111,271 in 2020, and would further to 54,293 in 2035 following a carbon peaking and carbon neutrality pathway. The impacts of certain species-category combinations have grown including NOX from industrial combustion and off-road traffic. The proportions of cross-provincial to marginal health burden have remained stable at around 50%. Provinces with net exporting of premature deaths were intensively located in the north of China while those with net importing were in the south. Our findings highlight the need for a location-precursor/sector-specific strategy of emission controls in China’s public health regulatory framework.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00869-x
spellingShingle Weiyang Hu
Bo Zheng
Daven K. Henze
Ni Lu
Xiaolin Wang
Lin Zhang
Tzung-May Fu
Yu Zhao
Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
title_full Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
title_fullStr Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
title_full_unstemmed Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
title_short Health burdens related to emission sources and cross-provincial air pollution in China
title_sort health burdens related to emission sources and cross provincial air pollution in china
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00869-x
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