Premature deaths attributable to long-term exposure to PM 2.5 in Turkey

Abstract

This research aims to reveal the premature deaths caused by long-term exposure to PM2.5 in 2018 in Turkey utilizing the AirQ+ program developed by the World Health Organization. Calculation of yearly average PM2.5 concentration in provinces, acreage of provinces, and the mortality rate of the at-risk population was the data required for the operation of the AirQ+ program. With the help of the AirQ+ program, the results revealed that a total of 44,617 people (95% CI 29.882-57.709) died prematurely due to sustained exposure to PM2.5 in Turkey in 2018. The highest estimated mortality proportion attributable to PM2.5 pollution was in the provinces of Igdir and Kahramanmaras. The highest estimated number of mortality cases per 100,000 population attributable to PM2.5 pollution was in the provinces of Manisa and Afyonkarahisar. This research points out that reaching the PM2.5 limits specified by the WHO could have prevented 44,617 premature deaths in the year 2018 in Turkey.