Pollution and health

A progress update

Bibliographic Data

ID23345673
AuthorsRichard Fuller (0000-0001-7965-4864), Philip J Landrigan (0000-0002-0150-6914, Boston College), Kalpana Balakrishnan (0000-0002-5905-1801, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research), Glynda Bathan, Stephan Böse‐o’reilly (0000-0003-0204-3103, LMU Klinikum), Stephan Böse-O'Reilly, Michael Brauer (0000-0002-9103-9343, University of British Columbia), Jack Caravanos (0000-0003-3515-896X, New York University), Tom Chiles (Boston College), Aaron Cohen (0000-0002-4610-9912, Health Effects Institute), Lilian Corra (Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Maureen Cropper (0000-0002-4539-3798, University of Maryland, College Park), Gary Ferraro (0000-0003-1602-7200, Pure Earth), Greg Ferraro, J L Hanna (Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Jill Hanna, David Hanrahan (0000-0002-8552-2136, Pure Earth), Howard Hu (0000-0002-3676-2707, University of Southern California), David Hunter (0000-0003-0007-9751, University of Oxford), Gloria Janata, Rachael Kupka (0000-0003-1581-9193, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), B P Lanphear (0000-0003-2598-5574, Simon Fraser University), Bruce Lanphear, Maureen Y Lichtveld (0000-0001-9264-883X, University of Pittsburgh), Maureen Lichtveld, Keith Martins (0000-0003-3320-0335, Consortium of Universities for Global Health), Keith Martin, Adetoun Mustapha (0000-0002-6035-1086, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research), Ernesto Sánchez-Triana (0000-0003-4406-2628, World Bank), Karti Sandilya (Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Laura Schaefli (Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Joseph Shaw, Joseph R Shaw (0000-0002-2217-9211, Indiana University Bloomington), Jessica Seddon (0000-0001-6205-8468, World Resources Institute), William Suk, William A Suk (0000-0002-1964-0564, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Martha Maria Téllez-Rojo, Martha María Téllez‐Rojo (0000-0003-3322-3334, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Chonghuai Yan (0000-0001-6811-5099, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Year2022
Volume6
Issue6
Pagese535-e547
Publication date2022-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Lancet Planetary Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2542-5196 • E-ISSN: 2542-5196
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00090-0
PMID35594895
OpenAlexW4280493402
LanguageEN
Citations received153
References cited57

The Lancet Commission on pollution and health reported that pollution was responsible for 9 million premature deaths in 2015, making it the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death. We have now updated this estimate using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuriaes, and Risk Factors Study 2019. We find that pollution remains responsible for approximately 9 million deaths per year, corresponding to one in six deaths worldwide. Reductions have occurred in the number of deaths attributable to the types of pollution associated with extreme poverty. However, these reductions in deaths from household air pollution and water pollution are offset by increased deaths attributable to ambient air pollution and toxic chemical pollution (ie, lead). Deaths from these modern pollution risk factors, which are the unintended consequence of industrialisation and urbanisation, have risen by 7% since 2015 and by over 66% since 2000. Despite ongoing efforts by UN agencies, committed groups, committed individuals, and some national governments (mostly in high-income countries), little real progress against pollution can be identified overall, particularly in the low-income and middle-income countries, where pollution is most severe. Urgent attention is needed to control pollution and prevent pollution-related disease, with an emphasis on air pollution and lead poisoning, and a stronger focus on hazardous chemical pollution. Pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss are closely linked. Successful control of these conjoined threats requires a globally supported, formal science-policy interface to inform intervention, influence research, and guide funding. Pollution has typically been viewed as a local issue to be addressed through subnational and national regulation or, occasionally, using regional policy in higher-income countries. Now, however, it is increasingly clear that pollution is a planetary threat, and that its drivers, its dispersion, and its effects on health transcend local boundaries and demand a global response. Global action on all major modern pollutants is needed. Global efforts can synergise with other global environmental policy programmes, especially as a large-scale, rapid transition away from all fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy is an effective strategy for preventing pollution while also slowing down climate change, and thus achieves a double benefit for planetary health.

Air pollution · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Environmental planning · Environmental protection · Life expectancy · Natural resource economics · Population · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Energy and Environment Impacts · Environmental Science · Medicine · Pollution