Exposure to surface ozone and its associated health effects and economic burden in India

Abstract

Surface ozone is a secondary air pollutant and when its exposure exceeds the threshold of 70 μg/m³ for 8 h, it can make adverse health effects. This study assesses surface ozone pollution in India using satellite and ground-based measurements. The exposure to surface ozone varies between seasons, from a pre-monsoon (March, April, and May) maximum (30–50 μg/m³) to a monsoon (June, July, August, and September) minimum (<25 μg/m³). However, there are many regions with ozone exceeding an exposure threshold of 70 μg/m³. This results in about 29000 mortalities in 45 out of 220 Indian cities based on the ground-based measurements considered. Estimates of mortality related to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) show a total of about 51154 deaths for the year 2022 as deduced from the satellite measurements. Also, the economic burden of premature mortality from ozone exposure is 16.83 billion USD, which is about 1.5 times the health budget of India in 2022. Therefore, it is imperative to address surface ozone pollution to ensure economic stability, protect public health and mitigate climate change.