Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018

Vohra, K.G.; Marais, Eloïse A.; Bloss, William J.; Schwartz, Joel; Mickley, Loretta J.; Damme, Martin Van; Clarisse, Lieven; Coheur, P.-F.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abm4435

Cited by 50 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…Due to its short lifetime on the order of a few hours, NO 2 is an excellent marker for anthropogenic emissions, and satellites often show enhanced NO 2 around large cities and thermal power plants (e.g., Beirle et al, 2003). Therefore, in the past, satellite NO 2 observations have been exploited to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term abatement strategies, the effects of economic recessions, and the impacts of shortterm emissions regulations on air quality (e.g., Russell et al, 2012;Lee et al, 2021;Vohra et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peculiar COVID-19 effects in the Greater Tokyo Area revealed by spatiotemporal variabilities of tropospheric gases and light-absorbing aerosols

et al. 2022

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Abstract. This study investigated the spatiotemporal variabilities in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), ozone (O3), and light-absorbing aerosols within the Greater Tokyo Area, Japan, which is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The analysis is based on total tropospheric column, partial tropospheric column (within the boundary layer), and in situ observations retrieved from multiple platforms as well as additional information obtained from reanalysis and box model simulations. This study mainly covers the 2013–2020 period, focusing on 2020 when air quality was influenced by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although total and partial tropospheric NO2 columns were reduced by an average of about 10 % in 2020, reductions exceeding 40 % occurred in some areas during the pandemic state of emergency. Light-absorbing aerosol levels within the boundary layer were also reduced for most of 2020, while smaller fluctuations in HCHO and O3 were observed. The significantly enhanced degree of weekly cycling of NO2, HCHO, and light-absorbing aerosol found in urban areas during 2020 suggests that, in contrast to other countries, mobility in Japan also dropped on weekends. We conclude that, despite the lack of strict mobility restrictions in Japan, widespread adherence to recommendations designed to limit the COVID-19 spread resulted in unique air quality improvements.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peculiar COVID-19 effects in the Greater Tokyo Area revealed by spatiotemporal variabilities of tropospheric gases and light-absorbing aerosols

et al. 2022

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“…With rising air pollution combined with the impact these pollutants have on cardiovascular health, significant preventative measures are needed to combat this threat and help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease on our global population [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Whether the Use of N95 Respirator Masks Decreases the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in the General Population

Khan¹,

Khan²,

Perry³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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The usage of masks such as the N95 has increased exponentially worldwide. With the ever-increasing global rates of cardiovascular disease, it is vital that preventative measures are adopted to help tackle this crisis. N95 masks have been promoted as health prevention odysseys in the battle against viruses such as COVID-19. A systematic review was conducted on whether the N95 masks could help improve our cardiovascular health. Our data sources included PubMed, Medline and Scopus. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria to be included in the review. N95 mask usage led to increased reports of dyspnoea, however, no significant effect was seen on blood pressure. N95 masks also showed improvement in aortic parameters. While encouraging results were yielded, further focussed studies on the use of N95 masks and the effect on various cardiovascular parameters would help strengthen the association.

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“…In contrast, a BAU scenario results in elevated emissions, PM 2.5 concentrations, and higher all-cause mortality in 2030. For context, research by Vohra et al (2022) estimates that 2018 PM 2.5 pollution from all sources in Ahmedabad caused 18 400 premature all-cause deaths (95% CI: 5400-31 400) (Vohra et al 2022); the 2030 health benefits achievable in our M&A scenario (compared to BAU) therefore represent an approximate 7% reduction in PM 2.5 -related mortality at the city level. The baseline 2018 annual population-weighted average PM 2.5 level estimated in our WRF-Chem modeling (71.04 µg m −3 ) is higher than a recently published estimate 57.68 µg m −3 for 2019 (an exposure level corresponding in that same study to an estimated 5960 premature deaths) (Health Effects Institute 2022); these divergent findings indicate the need for further refinement of air pollution exposure and health effect estimates in Ahmedabad and India overall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Average annual exposures across many Indian cities are well above the current Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) (annual average of 40 µ g m −3 ) and the corresponding World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline (WHO AQG) (annual average of 5 µ g m −3 ) (Balakrishnan et al 2019 , Purohit et al 2019 , Pandey et al 2020 , World Health Organization 2021 ). Importantly, premature mortality from air pollution in the 12 current Indian ‘megacities’ (population >10 million, including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata) increased significantly between 2005 and 2018 (Vohra et al 2022 ). That change stems in part from sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions (a contributor to secondary PM 2.5 formation in the atmosphere) from industry and coal-fired power plants that increased by 50% between 2007 and 2016 (Li et al 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air quality and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions by 2030: an interdisciplinary modeling study in Ahmedabad, India

Limaye

Magal

Joshi

et al. 2023

Environ. Res.: Health

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Climate change-driven temperature increases worsen air quality in places where coal combustion powers electricity for air conditioning. Climate solutions that substitute clean and renewable energy in place of polluting coal and promote adaptation to warming through reflective cool roofs can reduce cooling energy demand in buildings, lower power sector carbon emissions, and improve air quality and health. We investigate the air quality and health co-benefits of climate solutions in Ahmedabad, India—a city with air pollution levels above national health-based standards--through an interdisciplinary modeling approach. Using a 2018 baseline, we quantify changes in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution and all-cause mortality in 2030 from increasing renewable energy use (mitigation) and expanding Ahmedabad’s cool roofs heat resilience program to cover 20% of available building roof area (adaptation). We apply local demographic and health data and compare a 2030 mitigation and adaptation (M&A) scenario to a 2030 business-as-usual (BAU) scenario (without climate change response actions), each relative to 2018 pollution levels. We estimate that the 2030 BAU scenario results in an increase of PM2.5 pollution of 4.13 µg/m3 compared to a 0.11 µg/m3 decline under the 2030 M&A scenario. Reduced PM2.5 pollution under 2030 M&A results in 1,216-1,414 fewer premature all-cause deaths annually compared to 2030 BAU. Achievement of Indian Clean Air Programme, national standards, or World Health Organization annual PM2.5 targets in 2030 results in up to 6,510, 9,047, or 17,369 fewer annual deaths, respectively, relative to 2030 BAU. This comprehensive modeling method is adaptable to estimate local air quality and health co-benefits in other settings by integrating climate, energy, cooling, land cover, air pollution, and health data. Our findings demonstrate that city-level climate change response policies can achieve substantial air quality and health co-benefits. Such work can inform public discourse on the near-term health benefits of mitigation and adaptation.

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Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018

Cited by 50 publications

References 104 publications

Peculiar COVID-19 effects in the Greater Tokyo Area revealed by spatiotemporal variabilities of tropospheric gases and light-absorbing aerosols

Peculiar COVID-19 effects in the Greater Tokyo Area revealed by spatiotemporal variabilities of tropospheric gases and light-absorbing aerosols

A Systematic Review of Whether the Use of N95 Respirator Masks Decreases the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in the General Population

Air quality and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions by 2030: an interdisciplinary modeling study in Ahmedabad, India

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