High-Resolution PM_2.5 Emissions and Associated Health Impact Inequalities in an Indian District

Health and livelihood impacts from ambient air pollution among populations in developing countries are disproportional. These disparities are often overlooked due to a lack of information on microlevel emission data, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. The current work in an Indian district, Saharanpur, proposes the use of novel data sets to estimate microlevel emissions from air-polluting infrastructure sectors in urban and rural areas for use in pollutant transport models. Health impacts estimated based on the surface PM_2.5 concentration suggest that the rate of premature deaths is 158 (95% CI: 122-163) and 143 (95% CI: 65-151) deaths per 100 000 people in urban and rural areas, respectively. Sixty-eight percent of the 6372 (95% CI: 3321-6987) annual premature deaths occurs in rural areas. Depicting higher contribution-exposure disparities among socioeconomic groups, the study observed that compared to their contribution to air pollution, low socioeconomic status (SES) groups in the region experience 6,7, 7, and 26% more premature deaths from PM_2.5 exposure for industries, household cooking fuel burning, open waste burning, and transportation, respectively. The majority of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the study domain are observed in economically weaker worker categories. Reduced income due to the loss of these life years will significantly impact these groups due to their dependence on daily wages for basic life necessities. Microlevel pollution mitigation policies with a focus on these inequalities are critical for promoting environmental equity and justice.