Comparison between AirQ plus and BenMAP-CE in estimating the health benefits of PM2.5 reduction

The city of Tehran faces a severe problem of air pollution, and one of the most harmful pollutants in its ambient air is PM2.5. The present study aims to estimate the health benefits of reducing PM2.5 concentration to WHO air quality guideline levels using AirQ+ and BenMAP-CE software tools and subsequently compare their estimations. We statistically analyzed the PM2.5 concentration in Tehran during 2016-2018. The concentration and mortality data were acquired from Tehran's air quality monitoring stations and cemetery registry. The number of deaths due to all causes, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer attributable to PM2.5 concentration exceeding WHO guideline levels was estimated using both AirQ+ and BenMAP-CE. The annual concentrations of PM2.5 (similar to 31 mu g/m(3)) did not change significantly from 2016 to 2018 and was approximately three times higher than that of the WHO guideline levels. It was estimated that 4165, 4340, and 4498 premature deaths (based on the average output of two software) were associated with PM2.5 exposure in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. The results computed using AirQ+ and BenMAP-CE agree well if similar input data is employed. The calculations based on the average concentration and total population of the entire region of study resulted in an underestimation of the health benefits compared to the calculations using the concentration and population of city districts. There are significant health benefits in the reduction of PM2.5 concentration, and therefore, appropriate mitigation strategies need to be put in place to reduce air pollution. Providing the concentration and population data at higher spatial resolutions in AirQ+ and BenMAP-CE results in more accurate estimates of health benefits.

Automated summary

The city of Tehran is experiencing severe air pollution, specifically due to high levels of PM2.5. Estimations using AirQ+ and BenMAP-CE software tools show that reducing PM2.5 concentration to WHO guideline levels could result in significant health benefits, particularly in reducing premature deaths from various causes such as ischemic heart disease and lung cancer. The study highlights the importance of implementing mitigation strategies to reduce air pollution levels in Tehran.