Ambient Particulate Matter Exposure and Under-Five and Maternal Deaths in Asia

Abstract

The Asian region is one of the major emission sources of air pollution. Although ambient PM2.5 has been linked to several health risks in high-, low-, and middle-income countries, the further analysis of type impact is still rare but significant. The PM2.5 distribution retrieved from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aerosol optical depth products within 16 years thus explored the associations between under-five and maternal mortality for 45 countries in Asia. Both the nonparametric (Generalized Additive Mixed-Effect) and parametric (Generalized Linear Mixed-Effect) models were employed to analyze the collected datasets. The results show that the levels of PM2.5 in Asian sub-regions were higher than the Global Air Quality Standards. Biomass PM2.5 concentrations was associated with increased the rate of under-five (Incidence Rate Ratio, IRR = 1.29, 95% CI, 1.13–1.47) and maternal (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.08–1.10) deaths in Asia. Anthropogenic PM2.5 was associated with increased rate of under-five deaths in Asia by 12%. The nonparametric method revealed that dust PM2.5 was positively associated with the under-five (β = 0.04, p < 0.001) and maternal (β = 0.07, p < 0.001) deaths in Asia. The rate of maternal deaths was increased by biomass/dust (IRR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.63–1.65) and anthropogenic/dust (IRR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.19–1.26) mixture types. In summary, long-term exposure to different types of ambient PM2.5 in high concentration increased the rate of under-five and maternal deaths, suggesting that policies focusing on preventive and control measures is imperative for developing an improved maternal, newborn, and child health in Asia.

Impact of Air Pollution (PM2.5) on Child Mortality: Evidence from Sixteen Asian Countries

“…The thrust towards achieving higher economic growth in the sampled countries is resulting in deteriorated environmental conditions, pushing increased air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and consequent serious health threats. Our results are corroborated by the studies of [ 5 , 15 , 16 ], who highlighted a significant relationship between air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and child mortality. The studies in India, China [ 20 , 27 ], and other developing countries [ 3 , 13 , 28 ] have also established a significant relationship between air pollution and health outcomes.…”

“…Several studies have shown a positive relationship between air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and child mortality in recent years. For example, Lien et al and Owili et al [ 15 , 16 ] showed a positive relationship of air pollution (PM 2.5 ) with child mortality in those under five and maternal deaths in 45 Asian countries and Africa. Gouveia et al [ 9 ] evaluated the impact of air pollution on child mortality in four Latin American cities (Mexico city, Santiago, Chile and Rio de Janeiro) using the generalized additive model with Poisson regression.…”

“…The long-term health related assessment of PM 2.5 , mostly undertaken in developed countries, showed the positive association between PM 2.5 and mortality over the years [ 18 , 19 ]. However, despite experiencing the worst air pollution and its impact on child mortality, there are limited cross-country studies available on Asian countries that examine the relationship between air pollution (PM 2.5 ) and child mortality in those under five [ 15 ].…”

Impacts of discriminated PM2.5 on global under-five and maternal mortality

“…Globally, there is little evidence of the health effects of discriminated PM 2.5 (i.e., the major component of PM 2.5 ) , which may uniquely contribute to the global burden of disease. Currently, there are limited studies that have estimated the effects of discriminated or categorized ambient PM 2.5 , that is, anthropogenic, biomass and dust, on under-five and maternal mortality using satellite measurements, and these studies found a positive association in Africa 5 and Asia 7 . However, these studies 5 , 7 were regional and may not reflect the spatial variations throughout the world.…”

Effects of an Educational Glass Recycling Program against Environmental Pollution in Spain

“…In urban areas, populations such as the poor, elderly, and children are especially prone to pollution-related diseases, including respiratory illnesses, heart disease, cancer, etc. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Pollution generates other serious environmental problems such as climate change or global warming, which also have important health consequences [13,14].…”