20 / 2025-03-26 10:44:53

The burden of disease attributable to indoor air pollutants in China from 2000 to 2021

Indoor air quality,Burden of disease,Indoor air pollutant,indoor air control

Indoor air pollutants (IAP) remains a major public health concern in China, contributing to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and lung cancer. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the disease burden attributable to IAPs in China from 2000 to 2021. The analysis is based on a systematic review of over 50,000 articles from databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI, as well as field measurements and statistical modeling using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) and infiltration factors. Key indoor air pollutants considered include PM_2.5, CO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, formaldehyde, radon, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, and para-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB).

The results show that in 2021, the attributable DALYs is 2,970 person years per 100,000 population, accounting for 10.6% of the total DALYs. It ranked third among the leading risk factors according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data for China.PM_2.5 remains the dominant contributor to the indoor-related disease burden, which accounts for 81.3% of attributed DALYs. However, there is a noticeable decline in both indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 levels following the implementation of China's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013) and the Blue Sky Protection Campaign (2018). SO₂ levels have also declined due to the transition from coal to cleaner energy sources. In contrast, indoor O₃ and radon levels have shown an increasing trend, particularly in southern provinces, indicating that while particulate pollution has been mitigated, photochemical pollution is becoming more prominent.

The study underscores the need for updated indoor air quality standards, particularly for pollutants such as radon, VOCs, and O₃. Enhanced ventilation strategies, improved building material regulations, and increased public awareness of indoor air pollution risks are critical for reducing the disease burden attributable to IAPs. Future research should focus on real-time sensor-based monitoring and more precise apportionment of indoor and outdoor pollutant sources to develop targeted mitigation strategies.