Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
Front Public Health. 2023 Dec 22;11:1338305. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1338305. eCollection 2023.
Frequent air pollution events in Northwest China pose a serious threat to human health. However, there is a lack of specific differences assessment in PM-related disease burden. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the PM-related premature deaths and health economic losses in this typical northwest region, taking into account disease-specific, age-specific, and region-specific factors.
We utilized the WRF-Chem model to simulate and analyze the characteristics and exposure levels of PM pollution in Gansu Province, a typical region of Northwest China. Subsequently, we estimated the premature mortality and health economic losses associated with PM by combining the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) and the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL).
The results suggested that the PM concentrations in Gansu Province in 2019 varied spatially, with a decrease from north to south. The number of non-accidental deaths attributable to PM pollution was estimated to be 14,224 (95% CI: 11,716-16,689), accounting for 8.6% of the total number of deaths. The PM-related health economic loss amounted to 28.66 (95% CI: 23.61-33.63) billion yuan, equivalent to 3.3% of the regional gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke were the leading causes of PM-attributed deaths, contributing to 50.6% of the total. Older adult individuals aged 60 and above accounted for over 80% of all age-related disease deaths. Lanzhou had a higher number of attributable deaths and health economic losses compared to other regions. Although the number of PM-attributed deaths was lower in the Hexi Corridor region, the per capita health economic loss was higher.
Gansu Province exhibits distinct regional characteristics in terms of PM2.5 pollution as well as disease- and age-specific health burdens. This highlights the significance of implementing tailored measures that are specific to local conditions to mitigate the health risks and economic ramifications associated with PM pollution.
中国西北地区频繁发生的空气污染事件对人类健康构成严重威胁。然而，目前缺乏针对与 PM 相关的疾病负担的具体差异评估。因此，我们旨在考虑特定疾病、特定年龄和特定区域的因素，评估该典型西北区域与 PM 相关的过早死亡和健康经济损失。
我们利用 WRF-Chem 模型模拟和分析了中国西北地区典型省份甘肃的 PM 污染特征和暴露水平。随后，我们结合全球暴露死亡率模型（GEMM）和生命统计学价值（VSL）来估计与 PM 相关的过早死亡率和健康经济损失。
结果表明，2019 年甘肃省的 PM 浓度在空间上存在差异，呈现从北到南逐渐降低的趋势。归因于 PM 污染的非意外死亡人数估计为 14224 人（95%置信区间：11716-16689），占总死亡人数的 8.6%。与 PM 相关的健康经济损失达 286.6 亿元（95%置信区间：236.1-336.3），相当于 2019 年该地区国内生产总值（GDP）的 3.3%。缺血性心脏病（IHD）和中风是导致 PM 归因死亡的主要原因，占总死亡人数的 50.6%。60 岁及以上的老年个体占所有与年龄相关疾病死亡人数的 80%以上。与其他地区相比，兰州的归因死亡人数和健康经济损失更高。尽管河西走廊地区的 PM 归因死亡人数较低，但人均健康经济损失更高。
甘肃省的 PM2.5 污染以及疾病和年龄特定的健康负担具有明显的区域特征。这突显了实施因地制宜的有针对性措施的重要性，以减轻与 PM 污染相关的健康风险和经济影响。
