Estimation of the PM2.5 health effects in China during 2000-2011

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with mortality, but the extent of the adverse impacts differs across various regions. A quantitative estimation of health effects attributed to PM2.5 in China is urgently required, particularly because it has the largest population and high air pollution levels. Based on the remote sensing-derived PM2.5 and grid population data, we estimated the acute health effects of PM2.5 in China using an exposure-response function. The results suggest the following: (1) The proportion of the population exposed to high PM2.5 concentrations (>35 mu g/m(3)) increased consistently from 2000 to 2011, and the population exposed to concentrations above the threshold defined by World Health Organization (WHO) (>10 mu g/m(3)) rose from 1,191,191,943 to 1,290,562,965. (2) The number of deaths associated with PM2.5 exposure increased steadily from 107,608 in 2000 to 173,560 in 2010, with larger numbers in the eastern region. (3) PM2.5 health effects decreased in three pollution control scenarios estimated for 2017, i.e., the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) scenario, the APPCAP under WHO IT-1 scenario (35 mu g/m(3)), and the APPCAP under WHO IT-3 scenario (15 mu g/m(3)), which indicates that pollution control can effectively reduce PM2.5 effects on mortality.