Premature deaths attributable to long-term exposure to PM_2.5 in Turkey

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a significant global health concern.
• Air pollution contributes to premature mortality, necessitating regional and national risk assessments.
• Understanding the impact of PM2.5 in specific geographic areas like Turkey is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the number of premature deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure in Turkey in 2018.
• To identify specific provinces with the highest mortality burden from PM2.5 pollution.
• To assess the potential impact of meeting WHO air quality guidelines on reducing premature mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the World Health Organization's AirQ+ program for epidemiological calculations.
• Collected data on yearly average PM2.5 concentrations, provincial acreage, and at-risk population mortality rates.
• Calculated the attributable mortality proportion and cases per capita for PM2.5 exposure across Turkish provinces.

Main Results:

• An estimated 44,617 premature deaths (95% CI 29,882-57,709) in Turkey in 2018 were linked to sustained PM2.5 exposure.
• Provinces of Igdir and Kahramanmaras showed the highest estimated mortality proportion attributable to PM2.5.
• Manisa and Afyonkarahisar had the highest estimated number of PM2.5-attributable mortality cases per 100,000 population.

Conclusions:

• Reaching the WHO's specified PM2.5 limits could have potentially prevented all 44,617 premature deaths in Turkey in 2018.
• The study highlights the substantial public health burden of PM2.5 pollution in Turkey.
• Urgent policy interventions are needed to reduce PM2.5 levels and mitigate associated mortality.