Journal Article

Transboundary health impacts of transported global air pollution and international trade

Huo, Hong, Jiang, Xujia, Davis, Steven J., Zheng, Bo, Guan, Dabo, Geng, Guannan, Zhang, Qiang, Tong, Dan, Streets, David G., Kan, Haidong, He, Kebin, Brauer, Michael, Liu, Zhu, Yan, Yingying, Pan, Da, Feng, Tong, Ni, Ruijing, van Donkelaar, Aaron, Zhao, Hongyan, Martin, Randall V., Lin, Jintai, Lu, Zifeng

2017

Overview

The transboundary health impacts of air pollution associated with the international trade of goods and services are greater than those associated with long-distance atmospheric pollutant transport. The international air pollution trade Air quality and mortality are affected by local air pollution, but not all local air pollution comes from local emissions. It is also fed by atmospheric transport of pollutants from distant sources, and some of the pollution in one region is due to the production of goods for consumption in another. This study investigates the effect of these two remote pollution sources on premature mortality linked to fine particulate matter pollution. Qiang Zhang et al . find that, in 2007, about 12 per cent of premature deaths related to fine particulate matter were attributed to air pollutants from distant sources and about 22 per cent were associated with goods and services produced in one region for consumption in another. The findings suggest that the health impacts of pollution associated with international trade are greater than those associated with long-distance atmospheric pollutant transport. Millions of people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to outdoor air pollution 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . Some studies have estimated premature mortality related to local sources of air pollution 6 , 7 , but local air quality can also be affected by atmospheric transport of pollution from distant sources 8 , 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 region 14 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 . The effects of international trade on air pollutant emissions 23 , air quality 14 and health 24 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 (PM 2.5 ) 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 PM 2.5 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, PM 2.5 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 PM 2.5 pollution associated with international trade are greater than those associated with long-distance atmospheric pollutant transport.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 704/172/4081 / 704/844/4081 / Air Pollutants - adverse effects / Air Pollutants - analysis / Air pollution / Air Pollution - adverse effects / Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data / Air quality / Atmosphere - chemistry / China - epidemiology / Commerce - statistics & numerical data / Consumption / Disease / Emissions / Environmental Exposure - adverse effects / Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data / Environmental policy / Europe - epidemiology / Global Health / Globalization / Health aspects / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / International aspects / International trade / Internationality / Inventory / letter / Mortality / Mortality, Premature / multidisciplinary / Particulate matter / Particulate Matter - adverse effects / Particulate Matter - analysis / Patient outcomes / Pollutants / Pollution dispersion / Public Health / Science / United States - epidemiology / Wind