%0 Journal Article
%T Assessing the spatiotemporal evolution and socioeconomic determinants of PM2.5-related premature deaths in China from 2000 to 2021.
%A Mo H
%A Wang S
%J Sci Total Environ
%V 946
%N 0
%D 2024 Oct 10
%M 38955281
%F 10.753
%R 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174323
%X China's swift socioeconomic development has led to extremely severe ambient PM2.5 levels, the associated negative health outcomes of which include premature death. However, a comprehensive explanation of the socioeconomic mechanism contributing to PM2.5-related premature deaths has not yet to be fully elucidated through long-term spatial panel data. Here, we employed a global exposure mortality model (GEMM) and the system generalized method of moments (Sys-GMM) to examine the primary determinants contributing to premature deaths in Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2021. We found that in the research period, premature deaths in China increased by 46 %, reaching 1.87 million, a figure that decreased somewhat after the COVID-19 outbreak. 62 thousand premature deaths were avoided in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, primarily due to the decline in PM2.5 concentrations. Premature deaths have increased across all provinces, particularly in North China, and a discernible spatial agglomeration effect was observed, highlighting effects on nearby provinces. The findings also underscored the significance of determinants such as urbanization, import and export trade, and energy consumption in exacerbating premature deaths, while energy intensity exerted a mitigating influence. Importantly, a U-shaped relationship between premature deaths and economic development was unveiled for the first time, implying the need for vigilance regarding potential health impact deterioration and the implementation of countermeasures as the per capita GDP increases in China. Our findings deserve attention from policymakers as they shed fresh insights into atmospheric control and Health China action.