Substantially underestimated global health risks of current ozone pollution

Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 2;16(1):102. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55450-0.

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°) 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°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.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants* / adverse effects
  • Air Pollutants* / analysis
  • Air Pollution* / adverse effects
  • Air Pollution* / analysis
  • Asia / epidemiology
  • Environmental Exposure* / adverse effects
  • Global Health*
  • Humans
  • Ozone* / analysis
  • Risk Assessment

Substances

  • Ozone
  • Air Pollutants