Substantially underestimated global health risks of current ozone pollution

Yuan Wang, Yuanjian Yang, Qiangqiang Yuan (), Tongwen Li, Yi Zhou, Lian Zong, Mengya Wang, Zunyi Xie, Hung Chak Ho, Meng Gao, Shilu Tong, Simone Lolli and Liangpei Zhang ()
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Yuan Wang: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Yuanjian Yang: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Qiangqiang Yuan: Wuhan University
Tongwen Li: Sun Yat-sen University
Yi Zhou: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Lian Zong: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Mengya Wang: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Zunyi Xie: Henan University
Hung Chak Ho: The City University of Hong Kong
Meng Gao: Hong Kong Baptist University
Shilu Tong: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Simone Lolli: Contrada S
Liangpei Zhang: Wuhan University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55450-0

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