The Health Impacts of Combined Exposure to Air Pollution and Extreme Weather in China

China has achieved substantial reductions in air pollutant concentrations through multiple effective control measures, yet severe pollution episodes remain a persistent challenge. Meanwhile, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in China, including dust storms in spring, heatwaves and heavy rainfall in summer, and cold extremes in winter, which pose significant health risks due to the combined exposure to air pollution and extreme weather. Such combined exposures are of particular concern in the densely populated North China Plain region, challenging traditional management strategies that focus on either criteria air pollutants or temperature alone.

With experts from meteorology, air pollution, and health in our team, this interdisciplinary study aims to investigate health risks in the North China Plain under the combined influence of air pollution and climate change. First, we quantify personal exposure to both metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using advanced techniques, including wearable compound exposure sensors, high-resolution and filter-based personal exposure samplers (PES), and highly sensitive analytical methods capable of quantifying trace metals using micro-synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis and organic pollutants using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TD–GC–TOFMS) at very low concentrations. Second, in order to identify major sources contributing to health impacts of PM_2.5, the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS) is integrated with measurements to simulate major species such as PAHs and metals, as well as oxidative potential of PM_2.5 to link health risks to specific emission sectors and source regions. Finally, we aim to develop integrated health risk early-warning systems that jointly consider air pollution and extreme weather, such as ozone pollution and heatwaves, building on the already established heatwave health risk warning system in China. This approach will enable proactive mitigation of combined exposure risks and provide a foundation for future public health interventions.