Quantification of population exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 in Sweden 2005

• The population exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air for the year 2005 has been quantified (annualand daily mean concentrations) and the health and associated economic consequences have beencalculated based on these results. The PM10 urban background concentrations are found to be ratherlow compared to the environmental standard for the annual mean (40 μg/m3) in most of the country.However, in some parts, mainly in southern Sweden, the concentrations were of the same magnitude asthe environmental objective (20 μg/m3 as an annual mean) for the year 2010. The majority of people,90%, were exposed to annual mean concentrations of PM10 less than 20 μg/m3. Less than 1% of theSwedish inhabitants experienced exposure levels of PM10 above 25 μg/m3. The urban backgroundconcentrations of PM2.5 were in the same order of magnitude as the environmental objective (12 μg/m3as an annual mean for the year 2010) in quite a large part of the country. About 50% of the populationwas exposed to PM2.5 annual mean concentrations less than 10 μg/m3, while less than 2% experiencedlevels above 15 μg/m3.Using a cut off at 5 μg/m3 of PM10 as the annual mean (roughly excluding natural PM) and sourcespecific ER-functions, we estimate approximately 3 400 premature deaths per year. Together with1 300 - 1 400 new cases of chronic bronchitis, around 1 400 hospital admissions and some 4.5-5 millionRADs, the societal cost for health impacts is estimated at approximately 26 billion SEK per year. ForPM2.5 we estimate somewhat lower numbers, approximately 3 100 premature deaths per year.The results suggest that the health effects related to high annual mean levels of PM can be valued toannual socio-economic costs (welfare losses) of ~26 billion Swedish crowns (SEK) during 2005.Approximately 1.4 of these 26 billion SEK consist of productivity losses for society. Furthermore, theamount of working and studying days lost constitutes some ~0.1% of the total amount of working andstudying days in Sweden during 2005.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Nationellt finansierad miljöövervakning

National

Health

Hälsorelaterad miljöövervakning

Luftföroreningar - exponeringsstudier

Luftföroreningar - exponeringsstudier

Clean air

Frisk luft

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

rap (ämneskategori)