Assessing the Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Health Impacts of Surface Ozone Pollution in Beijing, China

Surface ozone has emerged as a concerning pollutant in Beijing, China. This study assessed ozone pollution and its health impacts in Beijing using ground (35 stations) and satellite data (2014–2023). Temporal trends were analyzed across various temporal scales, while spatial variability was evaluated using integrated ground and satellite-derived continuous data. Health impacts were quantified via a log-linear concentration–response model. Results show that for ozone concentrations during the post-pandemic period (2019–2023, covering the onset of COVID-19 in 2019 and the period following), daytime concentrations decreased by 6.8 μg/m3, but nighttime concentrations increased by 5.4 μg/m3. Spatially, ozone concentrations were higher in urban areas than in suburban areas in summer, but the reverse occurred in other seasons. Satellite data revealed broader Grade II (160 μg/m3) exceedance variability (3.0–20.3%) compared to station estimates (15.3–18.7%). Health impact assessments indicated that achieving the Grade I standard (100 μg/m3) could prevent approximately 576 (95% CI: 317–827) all-cause deaths and 294 (95% CI: 111–467) cardiovascular deaths per year, which is 3.5 times more than the reductions from meeting the Grade II standard (160 μg/m3). These findings underscore the need for adaptive ozone controls and tiered mitigation strategies to reduce health risks in Beijing.