Health gains from particulate air pollution controls in China

Long-term exposure to elevated PM_2.5 concentrations (fine particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers) poses a significant human health risk, contributing to excess mortality. Global estimates suggest that approximately 4–9 million excess deaths annually are attributable to PM_2.5, with China accounting for about one-third of these fatalities. Since the start of the 21^st century, China has undergone exceptional industrialization and urbanization, resulting in hundreds of millions of urban residents being exposed to poor air quality.  Recognizing the severity of the issue, Chinese authorities began implementing a series of successive control measures in 2006 to address unprecedented levels of atmospheric pollution. The research presented here, based on satellite observations and a combination of novel trend and mortality analysis methods, highlights the significant achievements of Chinese policies in mitigating the sharp rise in PM_2.5 levels. Our results indicate that the reduction of PM_2.5 at the levels of 2018–2019 (pre-COVID) prevented more than one million excess deaths annually and avoided an average reduction in life expectancy of over one year. We suggest that maintaining emission reductions at the current rate could drastically diminish the PM_2.5-related health burden within the next two decades.