Global Observatory on Pollution and Health, Boston College, Boston, MA, USA.
Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, MC, Monaco.
Environ Health. 2022 Jul 18;21(1):70. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00879-3.
Air pollution was responsible for an estimated 6.7 million deaths globally in 2019 and 197,000 deaths in the United States. Fossil fuel combustion is the major source.
Mapping air pollution's health impacts at the community level using publicly available data and open-source software will provide a replicable strategy for catalyzing pollution prevention.
Using EPA's Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis (BenMAP-CE) software and state data, we quantified the effects of airborne fine particulate matter (PM) pollution on disease, death and children's cognitive function (IQ Loss) in each city and town in Massachusetts. To develop a first-order estimate of PM pollution's impact on child IQ, we derived a concentration-response coefficient through literature review.
The annual mean PM concentration in Massachusetts in 2019 was 6.3 μg/M, a level below EPA's standard of 12 μg/M and above WHO's guideline of 5 μg/M. In adults, PM pollution was responsible for an estimated 2780 (Confidence Interval [CI] 2726 - 2853) deaths: 1677 (CI, 1346 - 1926) from cardiovascular disease, 2185 (CI, 941-3409) from lung cancer, 200 (CI, 66-316) from stroke, and 343 (CI, 222-458) from chronic respiratory disease. In children, PM pollution was responsible for 308 (CI, 105-471) low-weight births, 15,386 (CJ, 5433-23,483) asthma cases, and a provisionally estimated loss of nearly 2 million Performance IQ points; IQ loss impairs children's school performance, reduces graduation rates and decreases lifetime earnings. Air-pollution-related disease, death and IQ loss were most severe in low-income, minority communities, but occurred in every city and town in Massachusetts regardless of location, demographics or median family income.
Disease, death and IQ loss occur at air pollution exposure levels below current EPA standards. Prevention of disease and premature death and preservation of children's cognitive function will require that EPA air quality standards be tightened. Enduring prevention will require government-incentivized transition to renewable energy coupled with phase-outs of subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuels. Highly localized information on air pollution's impacts on health and on children's cognitive function has potential to catalyze pollution prevention.
空气污染在 2019 年造成全球约 670 万人死亡，在美国造成 19.7 万人死亡。化石燃料燃烧是主要来源。
利用公共数据和开源软件在社区层面上绘制空气污染对健康的影响，将为促进污染预防提供一个可复制的策略。
我们使用 EPA 的环境效益制图和分析 (BenMAP-CE) 软件和州数据，量化了马萨诸塞州每个城市和城镇空气中细颗粒物 (PM) 污染对疾病、死亡和儿童认知功能（智商损失）的影响。为了初步估计 PM 污染对儿童智商的影响，我们通过文献回顾得出了浓度-反应系数。
2019 年马萨诸塞州的年平均 PM 浓度为 6.3μg/M，低于 EPA 的 12μg/M 标准和世界卫生组织的 5μg/M 指导值。在成年人中，PM 污染估计导致 2780 人死亡（置信区间 [CI] 2726-2853）：1677 人（CI，1346-1926）死于心血管疾病，2185 人（CI，941-3409）死于肺癌，200 人（CI，66-316）死于中风，343 人（CI，222-458）死于慢性呼吸道疾病。在儿童中，PM 污染导致 308 例（CI，105-471）低体重出生，15386 例（CI，5433-23483）哮喘病例，以及估计近 200 万表现智商点的损失；智商损失会影响儿童的学业成绩，降低毕业率，并降低终生收入。在低收入、少数族裔社区，与空气污染有关的疾病、死亡和智商损失最为严重，但在马萨诸塞州的每个城市和城镇都有发生，无论地理位置、人口统计数据或家庭收入中位数如何。
在目前 EPA 标准以下的空气污染暴露水平下，就会出现疾病、死亡和智商下降。预防疾病和过早死亡以及保护儿童的认知功能，需要 EPA 空气质量标准更加严格。持久的预防需要政府激励可再生能源转型，同时逐步淘汰对化石燃料的补贴和税收减免。关于空气污染对健康和儿童认知功能影响的高度本地化信息，有可能促进污染预防。
