Air pollution effects on adult mortality rate in developing countries

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Economics

Background:

• Industrialization is vital for developing economies but causes air pollution, negatively impacting public health.
• The role of governance in mitigating environmental health consequences of industrialization is under-researched in developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically analyze the relationship between air pollution (PM2.5 and CO2) and adult mortality rates in 72 developing countries.
• To investigate the moderating effect of governance quality on this relationship.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized data from 72 developing countries between 2010 and 2017.
• Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimations were employed to analyze the data.
• Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) were used as air pollution indicators.

Main Results:

• A 10% increase in PM2.5 levels was associated with a 0.04%-0.06% rise in adult mortality rates.
• Improved governance quality significantly moderated the negative impact of air pollution, reducing adult mortality by 0.01% per unit increase.
• CO2 emissions showed a positive but not statistically significant association with adult mortality.

Conclusions:

• Air pollution, particularly PM2.5, poses a significant threat to adult mortality in developing countries.
• Enhanced governance quality is crucial for mitigating the adverse health effects of industrial air pollution.
• Achieving sustainable economic development with improved public health is feasible through better governance.