Publications

Wang, Y; Yang, YJ; Yuan, QQ; Li, TW; Zhou, Y; Zong, L; Wang, MY; Xie, ZY; Ho, HC; Gao, M; Tong, SL; Lolli, S; Zhang, LP (2025). Substantially underestimated global health risks of current ozone pollution. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 16(1), 102.

Abstract
Existing assessments might have underappreciated ozone-related health impacts worldwide. Here our study assesses current global ozone pollution using the high-resolution (0.05 degrees) estimation from a geo-ensemble learning model, with key focuses on population exposure and all-cause mortality burden. Our model demonstrates strong performance, achieving a mean bias of less than -1.5 parts per billion against in-situ measurements. We estimate that 66.2% of the global population is exposed to excess ozone for short term (> 30 days per year), and 94.2% suffers from long-term exposure. Furthermore, severe ozone exposure levels are observed in Cropland areas, particularly over Asia. Importantly, the all-cause ozone-attributable deaths significantly surpass previous recognition from specific diseases worldwide. Notably, mid-latitude Asia (30 degrees N) and the western United States show high mortality burden, contributing substantially to global ozone-attributable deaths. Our study highlights current significant global ozone-related health risks and may benefit the ozone-exposed population in the future.

DOI:
10.1038/s41467-024-55450-0

ISSN:
2041-1723