Inequality of household consumption and air pollution-related deaths in China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Zhao H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6761204 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Inequality of household consumption and air pollution-related deaths in China.
Zhao Hongyan H Geng Guannan G Zhang Qiang Q Davis Steven J SJ Li Xin X Liu Yang Y Peng Liqun L Li Meng M Zheng Bo B Huo Hong H Zhang Lin L Henze Daven K DK Mi Zhifu Z Liu Zhu Z Guan Dabo D He Kebin K
Nature communications 20190925 1
Substantial quantities of air pollution and related health impacts are ultimately attributable to household consumption. However, how consumption pattern affects air pollution impacts remains unclear. Here we show, of the 1.08 (0.74-1.42) million premature deaths due to anthropogenic PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure in China in 2012, 20% are related to household direct emissions through fuel use and 24% are related to household indirect emissions embodied in consumption of goods and services. Income is ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundExposure to air pollution, especially indoor air pollution, was associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting. However, few longitudinal studies have explored the long-term impacts of indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use on child growth. We aimed to investigate the association between household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use and childhood stunting in Chinese children.MethodThe longitudinal data from the Chinese Family Panel Study over 2010-2018 were included in this study with a total of 6,013 children aged 0-15 years enrolled at baseline. Exposure to HAP was measured as solid fuel use for cooking, while solid fuel was defined as coal and firewood/straw according to the questionnaire survey. Stunting was defined as-2SD below the height-for-age z-score (HAZ) of the reference children. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying exposures were employed to estimate the association between childhood stunting and HAP exposure.ResultsAt baseline, children with exposure to HAP from combusting solid fuels had a relatively higher risk of stunting [OR (95%CI): 1.42 (1.24-1.63)]. Among children without stunning at baseline, those living in households with solid fuel use had a higher stunting risk over an 8-year follow-up [HR (95%CI): 2.05 (1.64-2.57)]. The risk of childhood stunting was increased for those with HAP exposure from firewood/straw combustion or with longer exposure duration [HR (95%CI): 2.21 (1.74-2.79) and 3.01 (2.23-4.08), respectively]. Meanwhile, this risk was significantly decreased among children from households switching from solid fuels to clean fuels [HR (95%CI): 0.53 (0.39-0.70)]. Solid fuel use was suggested to be a mediator of the relationship between poor socioeconomic factors (i.e., household income and parental education level) and childhood stunning, with a mediation effect ranging from 11.25 to 14.26%.ConclusionsHAP exposure from solid fuel use was associated with childhood stunting. Poor parental education and low household income might be socioeconomic factors contributing to solid fuel use. Therefore, household energy policies to facilitate access to clean fuels are urgently needed, especially for low-income and low-educated households.
| S-EPMC9650942 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In addition to many recent actions taken to reduce emissions from energy production, industry, and transportation, a new campaign substituting residential solid fuels with electricity or natural gas has been launched in Beijing, Tianjin, and 26 other municipalities in northern China, aiming at solving severe ambient air pollution in the region. Quantitative analysis shows that the campaign can accelerate residential energy transition significantly, and if the planned target can be achieved, more than 60% of households are projected to remove solid fuels by 2021, compared with fewer than 20% without the campaign. Emissions of major air pollutants will be reduced substantially. With 60% substitution realized, emission of primary PM2.5 and contribution to ambient PM2.5 concentration in 2021 are projected to be 30% and 41% of those without the campaign. With 60% substitution, average indoor PM2.5 concentrations in living rooms in winter are projected to be reduced from 209 (190 to 230) μg/m3 to 125 (99 to 150) μg/m3 The population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations can be reduced from 140 μg/m3 in 2014 to 78 μg/m3 or 61 μg/m3 in 2021 given that 60% or 100% substitution can be accomplished. Although the original focus of the campaign was to address ambient air quality, exposure reduction comes more from improved indoor air quality because ∼90% of daily exposure of the rural population is attributable to indoor air pollution. Women benefit more than men.
| S-EPMC6708357 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Worldwide exposure to ambient PM2.5 causes over 4 million premature deaths annually. As most of these deaths are in developing countries, without internationally coordinated efforts this polarized situation will continue. As yet, however, no studies have quantified nation-to-nation consumer responsibility for global mortality due to both primary and secondary PM2.5 particles. Here we quantify the global footprint of PM2.5-driven premature deaths for the 19 G20 nations in a position to lead such efforts. G20 consumption in 2010 was responsible for 1.983 [95% Confidence Interval: 1.685-2.285] million premature deaths, at an average age of 67, including 78.6 [71.5-84.8] thousand infant deaths, implying that the G20 lifetime consumption of about 28 [24-33] people claims one life. Our results indicate that G20 nations should take responsibility for their footprint rather than focusing solely on transboundary air pollution, as this would expand opportunities for reducing PM2.5-driven premature mortality. Given the infant mortality footprint identified, it would moreover contribute to ensuring infant lives are not unfairly left behind in countries like South Africa, which have a weak relationship with G20 nations.
| S-EPMC8563796 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Over half of the world's population is exposed to household air pollution from the burning of solid fuels at home. Household air pollution from solid fuel use is a leading risk factor for global disease and remains a major public health problem, especially in low- and mid-income countries. This is a particularly serious problem in China, where many people in rural areas still use coal for household heating and cooking. This review focuses on several decades of research carried out in Xuanwei County, Yunnan Province, where household coal use is a major source of household air pollution and where studies have linked household air pollution exposure to high rates of lung cancer. We conducted a series of case-control and cohort studies in Xuanwei to characterize the lung cancer risk in this population and the factors associated with it. We found lung cancer risk to vary substantially between different coal types, with a higher risk associated with smoky (i.e., bituminous) coal use compared to smokeless (i.e., anthracite) coal use. The installation of a chimney in homes resulted in a substantial reduction in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Overall, our research underscores the need among existing coal users to improve ventilation, use the least toxic fuel, and eventually move toward the use of cleaner fuels, such as gas and electricity.
| S-EPMC4198749 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Mounting evidence over the past several decades has demonstrated inequitable distribution of pollutants of ambient origin between sociodemographic groups in the United States. Most environmental inequality studies to date are cross-sectional and used proximity-based methods rather than modeled air pollution concentrations, limiting the ability to examine trends over time or the factors that drive exposure inequalities. In this paper, we use 1km2 modeled PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations in Massachusetts over an 8-year period and Census demographic data to quantify inequality between sociodemographic groups and to develop a more nuanced understanding of the drivers and trends in longitudinal air pollution inequality. Annual-average population-weighted PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were highest for urban non-Hispanic black populations (11.8µg/m3 in 2003 and 8.4µg/m3 in 2010, vs. 11.3µg/m3 and 8.1µg/m3 for urban non-Hispanic whites) and urban Hispanic populations (15.9 ppb in 2005 and 13.0 ppb in 2010, vs. 13.0 ppb and 10.2 ppb for urban non-Hispanic whites), respectively. While population groups experienced similar absolute decreases in exposure over time, disparities in population-weighted concentrations increased over time when quantified by the Atkinson Index, a relative inequality measure. Exposure inequalities were approximately one order of magnitude greater for NO2 compared to PM2.5, were more pronounced in urban compared to rural geographies, and between racial/ethnic groups compared to income and educational attainment groups. Our results also revealed similar longitudinal PM2.5 and NO2 inequality trends using Census 2000 and Census 2010 data, indicating that spatio-temporal shifts in air pollution may best explain observed trends in inequality. These findings enhance our understanding of factors that contribute to persistent inequalities and underscore the importance of targeted exposure reduction strategies aimed at vulnerable populations and neighborhoods.
| S-EPMC5761067 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDecades of intervention programs that replaced traditional biomass stoves with cleaner-burning technologies have failed to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) interim indoor air quality target of 35-μg m-3 for PM2.5. Many attribute these results to continued use of biomass stoves and poor outdoor air quality, though the relative impacts of these factors have not been empirically quantified.MethodsWe measured 496 days of real-time stove use concurrently with outdoor and indoor air pollution (PM2.5) in 150 rural households in Sichuan, China. The impacts of stove use patterns and outdoor air quality on indoor PM2.5 were quantified. We also estimated the potential avoided cardiovascular mortality in southwestern China associated with transition from traditional to clean fuel stoves using established exposure-response relationships.ResultsMean daily indoor PM2.5 was highest in homes using both wood and clean fuel stoves (122 μg m-3), followed by exclusive use of wood stoves (106 μg m-3) and clean fuel stoves (semi-gasifiers: 65 μg m-3; gas or electric: 55 μg m-3). Wood stoves emitted proportionally higher indoor PM2.5 during ignition, and longer stove use was not associated with higher indoor PM2.5. Only 24% of days with exclusive use of clean fuel stoves met the WHO indoor air quality target, though this fraction rose to 73% after subtracting the outdoor PM2.5 contribution. Reduced PM2.5 exposure through exclusive use of gas or electric stoves was estimated to prevent 48,000 yearly premature deaths in southwestern China, with greater reductions if local outdoor PM2.5 is also reduced.ConclusionsClean stove and fuel interventions are not likely to reduce indoor PM2.5 to the WHO target unless their use is exclusive and outdoor air pollution is sufficiently low, but may still offer some cardiovascular benefits.
| S-EPMC7615186 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Estimating the health burden of air pollution against the background of population aging is of great significance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3.9 which aims to substantially reduce the deaths and illnesses from air pollution. Here, we estimated spatiotemporal changes in deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution in China from 2000 to 2035 and examined the drivers. The results show that from 2019 to 2035, deaths were projected to decease 15.4% (6.6%-20.7%, 95% CI) and 8.4% (0.6%-13.5%) under the SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 scenario, respectively, but increase 10.4% (5.1%-20.5%) and 18.1% (13.0%-28.3%) under SSP2-4.5 and SSP3-7.0 scenarios. Population aging will be the leading contributor to increased deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution, which will counter the positive gains achieved by improvements in air pollution and healthcare. Region-specific measures are required to mitigate the health burden of air pollution and this requires long-term efforts and mutual cooperation among regions in China.
| S-EPMC10460422 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHousehold air pollution (HAP) due to biomass cooking fuel use is an important risk factor for a range of diseases, especially among adult women who are primary cooks, in India. About 80% of rural households in India use biomass fuel for cooking. The aim of this study is to estimate the attributable cases (AC) for four major diseases/conditions associated with biomass cooking fuel use among adult Indian women.MethodsWe used the population attributable fraction (PAF) method to calculate the AC of chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis (TB), cataract, and stillbirths due to exposure to biomass cooking fuel. A number of data sources were accessed to obtain population totals and disease prevalence rates. A meta-analysis was conducted to obtain adjusted pooled odds ratios (ORs) for strength of association. Using this, PAF and AC were calculated using a standard formula. Results were presented as number of AC and 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsThe fixed effects pooled OR obtained from the meta-analysis were 2.37 (95% CI: 1.59, 3.54) for chronic bronchitis, 2.33 (1.65, 3.28) for TB, 2.16 (1.42, 3.26) for cataract, and 1.26 (1.12, 1.43) for stillbirths. PAF varied across conditions being maximum (53%) for chronic bronchitis in rural areas and least (1%) for cataract in older age and urban areas. About 2.4 (95% CI: 1.4, 3.1) of 5.6 m cases of chronic bronchitis, 0.3 (0.2, 0.4) of 0.76 m cases of TB, 5.0 (2.8, 6.7) of 51.4 m cases of cataract among adult Indian women and 0.02 (0.01, 0.03) of 0.15 m stillbirths across India are attributable to HAP due to biomass cooking fuel. These estimates should be cautiously interpreted in the light of limitations discussed which relate to exposure assessment, exposure characterization, and age-specific prevalence of disease.ConclusionsHAP due to biomass fuel has diverse and major impacts on women's health in India. Although challenging, incorporating the agenda of universal clean fuel access or cleaner technology within the broader framework of rural development will go a long way in reducing disease burden.
| S-EPMC4221659 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAnemia is common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), causing significant health issues and social burdens. Exposure to household air pollution from using biomass fuels for cooking and heating has been associated with anemia, but the exposure-response association has not been studied.ObjectivesWe evaluated the associations between personal exposure to air pollution and both hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence among pregnant women in a multi-country randomized controlled trial.MethodsWe studied 3,163 pregnant women aged 18-35 years with 9-20 weeks of gestation, recruited as part of the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) randomized controlled trial in Guatemala, India, Peru, and Rwanda. We assessed 24-hour personal exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and carbon monoxide (CO), and measured hemoglobin levels at baseline (15 ± 3 weeks gestation). Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of measured pollutants with hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence, adjusting for confounding.ResultsSingle-pollutant models showed associations of CO with higher hemoglobin levels and lower anemia prevalence. Bipollutant models involving CO and PM2.5 also revealed that an interquartile range (IQR) increase in CO concentrations (2.26 ppm) was associated with higher hemoglobin levels [β = 0.04; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.07], and a lower odds of anemia prevalence [odds ratios (OR) = 0.90; 95 % CI: 0.83, 0.98]. PM2.5 was inversely related to hemoglobin and positively associated with anemia, but results were not statistically significant at the 0.05 alpha level. County-specific results showed that 3 of 4 countries showed a similar association between CO and hemoglobin. We found no association of BC levels with hemoglobin levels or with anemia prevalence.ConclusionOur findings suggest that exposure to CO is associated with higher hemoglobin and lower anemia prevalence among pregnant women, whereas PM2.5 showed the opposite associations.
| S-EPMC11365361 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the acute effect of air pollutants on ischaemic stroke (IS) and IS-related death.SettingFive urban districts in Changzhou, China, between 9 January 2015 and 31 December 2016.ParticipantsA total of 32 840 IS cases and 4028 IS deaths were enrolled.Main outcome measuresA time-series design, generalised additive model and multivariable regression model were used to examine the percentage change (95% CI) in daily IS counts and deaths with an IQR increase in air pollutant levels for different single or multiple lag days in single-pollutant and two-pollutant models.ResultsDaily IS counts increased 0.208% (95% CI 0.036% to 0.381%) with an IQR increment in the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The estimated risk of NO2 was more robust in males and in the cold season. For daily IS counts, the estimated effects of NO2 and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were more significant when adjusted for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and PM10. An IQR increment in the concentration of PM10, SO2 and NO2 significantly increased IS deaths with 6 days of cumulative effects (0.268%, 95% CI 0.007% to 1.528%; 0.34%, 0.088% to 0.592%; and 0.263%, 0.004% to 0.522%, respectively). Young individuals (<65 years old) had a higher IS mortality risk for PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and CO. For IS death, the effect estimates of SO2 in the elderly, females and the cold season were more pronounced; statistical significance was also identified for SO2 when adjusted for carbon monoxide (CO).ConclusionsThis study suggested that short-term exposure to ambient NO2 was associated with increased IS risk. In addition, SO2 was associated with increased IS onset and death.
| S-EPMC6059268 | biostudies-literature