Time-Trends in Air Pollution Impact on Health in Italy, 1990–2019: An Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

• DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605959
• Publication Date: 2023-06-02T14:46:56Z
• Authors: Sara Conti; Carla Fornari; Pietro Ferrara; Ippazio C. Antonazzo; Fabiana Madotto; Eugenio Traini; Miriam Levi; Achille Cernigliaro; Benedetta Armocida; Nicola L. Bragazzi; Ennio Cadum; Michele Carugno; Giacomo Crotti; Silvia Deandrea; Paolo A. Cortesi; Davide Guido; Ivo Iavicoli; Sergio Iavicoli; Carlo La Vecchia; Paolo Lauriola; Paola Michelozzi; Salvatore Scondotto; Massimo Stafoggia; Francesco S. Viol...; Cristiana Abbafati; Luciana Albano; Francesco Barone-...; Antonio Biondi; Cristina Bosetti; Danilo Buonsenso; Giulia Carreras; Giulio Castelpietra; Alberico Catapano; Maria S. Cattaruzza; Barbara Corso; Giovanni Damiani; Francesco Esposito; Silvano Gallus; Davide Golinelli; Simon I. Hay; Gaetano Isola; Caterina Ledda; Stefania Mondello; Paolo Pedersini; Umberto Pensato; Norberto Perico; Giuseppe Remuzzi; Francesco Sanmarchi; Rocco Santoro; Biagio Simonetti; Brigid Unim; Marco Vacante; Massimiliano Veroux; Jorge H. Villafañe; Lorenzo Monasta; Lorenzo G. Mantovani
• Keywords: particulate matter; air quality regulations; global burden of disease; air pollution; air quality regulations; global burden of disease; health; Public Health Archive; air pollution; 610; Global Health; 3. Good health; Global Burden of Disease; ozone; Ozone; Italy; 13. Climate action; Air Pollution; 11. Sustainability; air quality regulation; Humans; Particulate Matter; air pollution; air quality regulations; global burden of disease; ozone; particulate matter;; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; air pollution; air quality regulations; global burden of disease; ozone; particulate matter

Objectives: We explored temporal variations in disease burden of ambient particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) and ozone in Italy using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.Methods: We compared temporal changes and percent variations (95% Uncertainty Intervals [95% UI]) in rates of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost, years lived with disability and mortality from 1990 to 2019, and variations in pollutant-attributable burden with those in the overall burden of each PM2.5- and ozone-related disease.Results: In 2019, 467,000 DALYs (95% UI: 371,000, 570,000) were attributable to PM2.5 and 39,600 (95% UI: 18,300, 61,500) to ozone. The crude DALY rate attributable to PM2.5 decreased by 47.9% (95% UI: 10.3, 65.4) from 1990 to 2019. For ozone, it declined by 37.0% (95% UI: 28.9, 44.5) during 1990–2010, but it increased by 44.8% (95% UI: 35.5, 56.3) during 2010–2019. Age-standardized rates declined more than crude ones.Conclusion: In Italy, the burden of ambient PM2.5 (but not of ozone) significantly decreased, even in concurrence with population ageing. Results suggest a positive impact of air quality regulations, fostering further regulatory efforts.