Premature mortality in India due to PM_2.5 and ozone exposure

Abstract

Abstract This bottom‐up modeling study, supported by new population census 2011 data, simulates ozone (O 3 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) exposure on local to regional scales. It quantifies, present‐day premature mortalities associated with the exposure to near‐surface PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations in India using a regional chemistry model. We estimate that PM 2.5 exposure leads to about 570,000 (CI95: 320,000–730,000) premature mortalities in 2011. On a national scale, our estimate of mortality by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to O 3 exposure is about 12,000 people. The Indo‐Gangetic region accounts for a large part (~42%) of the estimated mortalities. The associated lost life expectancy is calculated as 3.4 ± 1.1 years for all of India with highest values found for Delhi (6.3 ± 2.2 years). The economic cost of estimated premature mortalities associated with PM 2.5 and O 3 exposure is about 640 (350–800) billion USD in 2011, which is a factor of 10 higher than total expenditure on health by public and private expenditure.