Reduced inequality in ambient and household PM2.5 exposure in China

Luo，Zhihan1; Shen，Guofeng1; Men，Yatai1; Zhang，Wenxiao1; Meng，Wenjun1; Zhu，Wenyuan1; Meng，Jing2; Liu，Xinlei1; Cheng，Qin1; Jiang，Ke1; Yun，Xiao1; Cheng，Hefa1; Xue，Tao3; Shen，Huizhong4; Tao，Shu1,4

2022-12-01

10.1016/j.envint.2022.107599

ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL   Impact Factor & Quartile

0160-4120

1873-6750

The society has high concerns on the inequality that people are disproportionately exposed to ambient air pollution, but with more time spent indoors, the disparity in the total exposure considering both indoor and outdoor exposure has not been explored; and with the socioeconomical development and efforts in fighting against air pollution, it is unknown how the exposure inequality changed over time. Based on the city-level panel data, this study revealed the Concentration Index (C) in ambient PM exposure inequality was positive, indicating the low-income group exposed to lower ambient PM; however, the total PM exposure was negatively correlated with the income, showing a negative C value. The low-income population exposed to high PM associated with larger contributions of indoor exposure from the residential emissions. The total PM exposure caused 1.13 (0.63–1.73) million premature deaths in 2019, with only 14 % were high-income population. The toughest-ever air pollution countermeasures have reduced ambient PM exposures effectively that, however, benefited the rich population more than the others. The transition to clean household energy sources significantly affected on indoor air quality improvements, as well as alleviation of ambient air pollution, resulting in notable reductions of the total PM exposure and especially benefiting the low-income groups. The negative C values decreased from 2000 to 2019, indicating a significantly reducing trend in the total PM exposure inequality over time.

Clean energy transition Exposure inequality Household air pollution PM2·5

SCI

English

Others

National Natural Science Foundation["41922057","42077328","41991310","41830641"] ; Chinese Academy of Science[XDA23010100] ; Ministry of Science and Technology[2019QZKK0605]

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Environmental Sciences

WOS:000882398800003

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

2-s2.0-85140929708

Scopus

1.College of Urban and Environmental Sciences,Peking University,Beijing,100871,China
2.The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction,University College London,London,WC1E 7HB,United Kingdom
3.Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,School of Public Health,Peking University,Beijing,China
4.College of Environmental Science and Technology,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Luo，Zhihan,Shen，Guofeng,Men，Yatai,et al. Reduced inequality in ambient and household PM2.5 exposure in China[J]. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL,2022,170.

Luo，Zhihan.,Shen，Guofeng.,Men，Yatai.,Zhang，Wenxiao.,Meng，Wenjun.,...&Tao，Shu.(2022).Reduced inequality in ambient and household PM2.5 exposure in China.ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL,170.

Luo，Zhihan,et al."Reduced inequality in ambient and household PM2.5 exposure in China".ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 170(2022).