Estimation of the effects of ambient air pollution on life expectancy of urban residents in China

- The impact of air pollution on life expectancy in China was estimated.
- PM10 has been significantly reduced in China between 2003 and 2010.
- Due to PM10 reduction, life expectancy increased by 0.83 yrs from 2003 to 2010.
- Air quality might have contributed substantially to life expectancy in China.

The air quality in China's cities has improved in recent years, but its impact on public health has rarely been investigated. This study was aimed at estimating the potential effects of air quality on life expectancy between 2003 and 2010 in China. We collected annual average concentrations of particulate matter less than 10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) in 113 key cities, covering all provinces in China, along with the national average age-specific mortality from 2003 to 2010. We constructed a cause-eliminated life table after excluding premature deaths attributable to PM10. The annual average PM10 levels in these cities decreased from 125.3 μg m−3 in 2003 to 88.3 μg m−3 in 2010. As the result, life expectancy loss due to PM10 decreased from 2.13 years in 2003 to 1.30 years in 2010. The estimated life expectancy increase due to PM10 mitigation accounted for 34% of the total increase in life expectancy in the same period. Our results suggested that air quality might have contributed substantially to life expectancy in China.