Premature mortality in India due to PM2.5and ozone exposure

This bottom‐up modeling study, supported by new population census 2011 data, simulates ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on local to regional scales. It quantifies, present‐day premature mortalities associated with the exposure to near‐surface PM2.5and O3concentrations in India using a regional chemistry model. We estimate that PM2.5exposure 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 O3exposure 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 PM2.5and O3exposure 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. PM2.5exposure is causing 570,000 premature mortalitiesEconomic cost of estimated premature mortalities is about 640 billion USDPM2.5should be the primary target for reducing pollution impacts on health