Transboundary health impacts of transported global air pollution and international trade

Abstract

Millions of people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to outdoor air pollution1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Some studies have estimated premature mortality related to local sources of air pollution6, 7, but local air quality can also be affected by atmospheric transport of pollution from distant sources8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. International trade is contributing to the globalization of emission and pollution as a result of the production of goods (and their associated emissions) in one region for consumption in another region14, 19, 20, 21, 22. The effects of international trade on air pollutant emissions23, air quality14 and health24 have been investigated regionally, but a combined, global assessment of the health impacts related to international trade and the transport of atmospheric air pollution is lacking. Here we combine four global models to estimate premature mortality caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution as a result of atmospheric transport and the production and consumption of goods and services in different world regions. We find that, of the 3.45 million premature deaths related to PM2.5 pollution in 2007 worldwide, about 12 per cent (411,100 deaths) were related to air pollutants emitted in a region of the world other than that in which the death occurred, and about 22 per cent (762,400 deaths) were associated with goods and services produced in one region for consumption in another. For example, PM2.5 pollution produced in China in 2007 is linked to more than 64,800 premature deaths in regions other than China, including more than 3,100 premature deaths in western Europe and the USA; on the other hand, consumption in western Europe and the USA is linked to more than 108,600 premature deaths in China. Our results reveal that the transboundary health impacts of PM2.5 pollution associated with international trade are greater than those associated with long-distance atmospheric pollutant transport

Targeted emission reductions from global super-polluting power plant units

“…In the future, our database of global power plant emissions, GPED, can help prioritize cost-effective actions for further emission reductions and thereby regional and global impacts of outdoor air pollution on human health 27,42,43 . The potential impacts on the climate are also deserving of further study; power plants emit a range of CO 2 and other precursor gases simultaneously 28,44 .…”

Particulate Matter Air Pollution and the Risk of Incident CKD and Progression to ESRD

“…13 (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) 13 (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) 13 (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) 13 (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) 13 (7)(8)<...>…”

HTAP2 multi-model estimates of premature human mortality due to intercontinental transport of air pollution and emission sectors

“…As changes in emissions from one continent influence air quality over others, several studies have estimated the premature mortality from intercontinental transport (Anenberg et al, 2009(Anenberg et al, , 2014Bhalla et al, 2014;Duncan et al, 2008;Im et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2009b;West et al, 2009b;Zhang et al, 2017). In 2005, the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants (TF HTAP) was launched under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP).…”