Cardiovascular and Respiratory Mortality from Ambient PM2.5 and Health Benefit Assessment: A Case Study from Ratchaburi, Thailand

Air pollution remains a significant environmental challenge, impacting ecosystems, reducing visibility, and posing substantial health risks. Ratchaburi, a province in Thailand, has been experiencing severe air pollution, particularly with elevated PM2.5 concentrations. This study assessed the health benefits of reducing ambient PM2.5 exposure by analyzing air quality data from 2015 to 2019. The assessment quantifies the additional health benefits from rolling back monitored PM2.5 levels to meet the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards, compared to previous thresholds. Mortality impacts were monetized using the value of statistical life, expressed in 2011 USD and adjusted to purchasing power parity. The findings indicate that strengthening the 24 h PM2.5 standard prevented an additional 35 cardiovascular deaths (95% CI: 2–63 deaths) and 29 respiratory deaths (95% CI: 11–42 deaths), translating into $17 million (95% CI: $1–$31 million) and $13 million (95% CI: $5–$20 million) in economic benefits, respectively. Further tightening the annual PM2.5 standard from 25 µg/m3 to 15 µg/m3 resulted in even greater improvements, preventing an additional 169 cardiovascular deaths (95% CI: 11–319 deaths) and 134 respiratory deaths (95% CI: 48–216 deaths), with associated economic benefits of $81 million (95% CI: $5–$23 million) and $68 million (95% CI: $23–$104, million), respectively. Overall, prioritizing annual reductions in PM2.5 yields greater long-term benefits than daily improvements, reinforcing the need for sustained policy interventions. Addressing these challenges requires effective air quality management strategies and public health measures to protect vulnerable populations in Ratchaburi from the adverse effects of air pollution exposure.