The burden of air pollution (PM_2.5) in subnational Australian life expectancy

Australia is renowned for having some of the cleanest air globally, yet air pollution remains a persistent issue that significantly impacts life expectancy. This study quantifies the burden of annual ambient particulate matter (PM_2.5) in Australia's life expectancy: measuring life-years lost (LYL) from 2001 to 2019, considering geographical and demographic differences. Data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Human Mortality Database, and the Centre for Safe Air. Findings indicate that dust storms and bushfires were the main sources of PM_2.5 during the 19-year period, with concentrations ranging from 3.39 to 13.78 μg/m³. The Northern Territory showed the highest levels (6.38-13.78 μg/m³), consistently exceeding both the national and WHO guidelines, while Tasmania had the lowest (4.07-5.73 μg/m³), generally remaining below these thresholds. Males experienced higher LYL than females across all regions, with the largest gap observed in the Northern Territory in 2013-2.63 (95 % CI: 2.40-2.88) years for males versus 2.15 (95 % CI: 1.98-2.33) years for females. This region also exhibited the highest LYL in the country, while Tasmania had the lowest. Regional differences were observed, with rural areas in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania showing higher LYL than urban areas. In contrast, Greater Sydney had higher LYL than rural New South Wales. LYL was also greater among older individuals than adults. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to address air pollution and its health impacts across different regions and demographics in Australia.