Avoidable Mortality Burden Attributable to PM2.5 in Madrid (Spain).

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) set a 2021 guideline for annual outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations at 5 μg/m³.
• Elevated PM2.5 levels pose significant risks to respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the health impact of ambient PM2.5 concentrations in two distinct urban locations in 2023.
• To quantify the attributable burden of lung cancer and non-communicable disease mortality due to PM2.5 exposure.

Main Methods:

• Monitoring of outdoor PM2.5 concentrations (cPM2.5) in two city locations (South and Central).
• Analysis of mortality data for lung cancer and non-communicable diseases in a population over 25 years old.
• Estimation of avoidable mortality burden linked to PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO guidelines.

Main Results:

• The 5 μg/m³ WHO guideline for PM2.5 was exceeded 70% of the time in the South and 99% in the Central location.
• In the Central location, 64% of PM2.5 values surpassed 15 μg/m³.
• Estimated annual lung cancer mortality ranged from 6.7% to 8.7%, and non-communicable disease mortality from 10.7% to 12.3%.

Conclusions:

• Ambient PM2.5 concentrations in the studied urban areas significantly exceed WHO recommendations.
• A substantial portion of lung cancer and non-communicable disease mortality is attributable to PM2.5 pollution.
• Urgent public health interventions are required to drastically reduce PM2.5 levels and mitigate associated mortality.