Ecological Study on Global Health Effects due to Source-Specific Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposure

Ambient air pollution of fine particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) is associated with millions of premature deaths per year, recognized as a leading global health concern. The dose-response relation between ambient PM_2.5 exposure and mortality risk is the most fundamental information for assessments of the health effects of PM_2.5. The existing dose-response relations were generally developed based on the assumption of equal contribution to toxicity from various sources. However, the sources of PM_2.5 may significantly influence health effects. In this study, we conducted an ecological study to investigate the global long-term correlation between source-specific PM_2.5 exposure and cause-specific mortality risk (SPECM) based on the regional aggregate data of the publically available official health databases from 528 regions worldwide with a total registered population of 3.2 billion. The results provided preliminary epidemiological evidence for differing chronic health effects across various sources. The relative mortality risks of lung cancer and circulatory diseases were closely correlated with the primary emissions from industrial and residential combustion sources. Chronic lower respiratory diseases were mostly associated with the mass concentration of particulate matter.