Ozone exposure and health risks of different age structures in major urban agglomerations in People's Republic of China from 2013 to 2018

Influence of urbanization on meteorological conditions and ozone pollution in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, China

Changes in aerodynamic and thermal conditions caused by urbanization can impact regional meteorological conditions, subsequently affecting air quality. Updated Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land use data and coupled with the urban canopy models (UCMs) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This enabled the impact of urban land expansion on meteorological conditions and ozone (O3) concentrations to be evaluated. Urban expansion increased the temperature at 2 m (T2) and the probability of precipitation in urban expansion areas, and enhanced the surface urban heat island at night. As the expansion areas became progressively larger, the increase in T2 became more pronounced. The proportions of urban surfaces in June 2016, 2018, and 2020 compared to 2001 increased by 0.69%, 0.83%, and 1.04%, respectively, while T2 increased by 0.12, 0.19, and 0.20 °C in urban areas, respectively. With urban expansion, the O3 concentration increased by 1.12, 1.37, and 0.76 μg/m3 (three-year averages) in urban, suburban, and rural areas, respectively. After coupling a multi-layer urban canopy model (building effect parameterization, BEP), or a multi-layer urban canopy model with a building energy model including anthropogenic heat due to air conditioning (BEP + BEM, abbreviated as BEM simulation), the O3 concentration changed significantly in the urban expansion area, compared to the results of a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM). O3 concentrations decreased most in the BEP simulation (-0.77 μg/m3), while O3 concentrations increased most in the BEM simulation (+1.85 μg/m3). The average observed O3 concentration was 108.35 μg/m3 (three-year average), while the simulated value was 75.65-83.72 μg/m3 (R = 0.69-0.77). The validation results in the BEM and Global Optimal Scenario (GOS) simulations were relatively good, with the GOS simulation producing slightly better results than the BEM. The simulation of O3 in urban agglomerations could be improved by integrating the results of the UCMs.

Effect of ambient ozone pollution on disease burden globally: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019

BACKGROUND

Exposure to ambient ozone pollution causes health loss and even death, and both are the main risk factors for the disease burden worldwide. We comprehensively evaluated the ozone pollution-related disease burden.

METHODS

First, numbers and age-standardized rates of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were assessed globally and by sub-types in 2019. Furthermore, the temporal trend of the disease burden was explored by the linear regression model from 1990 to 2019. The cluster analysis was used to evaluate the changing pattern of related disease burden across Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) regions. Finally, the age-period-cohort (APC) model and the Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model were used to predict the future disease burden in the next 25 years.

RESULT

Exposure to ozone pollution contributed to 365,222 deaths and 6,210,145 DALYs globally in 2019, which accounted for 0.65 % of deaths globally and 0.24 % of DALYs globally. The disease burden was consistently increasing with age. Males were high-risk populations and low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI) regions were high-risk areas. The disease burden of ozone pollution varied considerably across the GBD regions and the countries. In 2019, the number of deaths and DALYs cases increased by 76.11 % and 56.37 %, respectively compared to those in 1990. The predicted results showed that the number of deaths cases and DALYs cases for both genders would still increase from 2020 to 2044.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, ambient ozone pollution has threatened public health globally. More proactive and effective strategic measures should be developed after considering global-specific circumstances.

Spatiotemporal patterns of surface ozone exposure inequality in China

Rising surface ozone (O3) levels in China are increasingly emphasizing the potential threats to public health, ecological balance, and economic sustainability. Using a 1 km × 1 km dataset of O3 concentrations, this research employs subpopulation demographic data combined with a population-weighted quality model. Its aim is to evaluate quantitatively the differences in O3 exposure among various subpopulations within China, both at a provincial and urban cluster level. Additionally, an exposure disparity indicator was devised to establish unambiguous exposure risks among significant urban agglomerations at varying O3 concentration levels. The findings reveal that as of 2018, the population-weighted average concentration of O3 for all subgroups has experienced a significant uptick, surpassing the average O3 concentration (118 μg/m3). Notably, the middle-aged demographic exhibited the highest O3 exposure level at 135.7 μg/m3, which is significantly elevated compared to other age brackets. Concurrently, there exists a prominent positive correlation between educational attainment and O3 exposure levels, with the medium-income bracket showing the greatest susceptibility to O3 exposure risks. From an industrial vantage point, the secondary sector demographic is the most adversely impacted by O3 exposure. In terms of urban-rural structure, urban groups in all regions had higher levels of exposure to O3 than rural areas, with North and East China having the most significant levels of exposure. These findings not only emphasize the intricate interplay between public health and environmental justice but further highlight the indispensability of segmented subgroup strategies in environmental health risk assessment. Moreover, this research furnishes invaluable scientific groundwork for crafting targeted public health interventions and sustainable air quality management policies.