Estimation of Tehran\'s particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter (PM2.5) health effects, using BenMAP-CE

Background and Objective: Despite the significant improve in air quality in Tehran in 2018 and reducing the average concentration of most pollutants, compared to previous years, air quality is still far from the WHO air quality guideline level and national air quality standards. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of air pollution on health in Tehran by considering the spatial distribution of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter (PM2.5) and population in determining exposure levels. Materials and Methods: In this study, while introducing the GEMM concentration–response function and BenMAP-CE software, the mortality attributed to PM2.5 in Tehran and its distribution for 2017 and 2018 was calculated. Hourly PM2.5 from monitoring stations used to estimate the mean PM2.5 for 349 Tehran neighborhoods. Results: The results showed that the average population weighted PM2.5 concentrations in Tehran in 2017 and 2018 was estimated to be 31.8 and 26.2 µg/m3 respectively. Using the GEMM function, about 7,377 (95% CI: 6,126-8,581) total mortality attributed to PM2.5 was estimated in adults in 2017 (> 25 years) and the figure for 2018 was estimated as 6,418 (95% CI: 5,918-6,753). Conclusion: The spatial distribution of deaths attributable to PM2.5 showed that the total mortality rate per 100000 in the districts 16 and 18 of the Tehran municipality were higher than other districts and the lowest rate observed in the district 1.