Pollution and health: a progress update

This peer-reviewed assessment updates the findings of the 2017 Lancet Commission on pollution and health, examining the global burden of disease attributable to environmental pollution. Drawing on international health and exposure data, the authors estimate that pollution was responsible for approximately nine million premature deaths worldwide in 2019, equivalent to one in six deaths.

The report examines the changing contributions of air pollution, unsafe water, occupational hazards and toxic chemicals to disease and premature mortality. It identifies increasing deaths associated with ambient air pollution and chemical pollutants, particularly in rapidly industrialising countries, despite progress in reducing some traditional pollution risks.

The authors highlight substantial inequalities in pollution exposure and health outcomes, alongside the economic consequences of preventable disease. They call for stronger international cooperation, improved pollution monitoring, effective regulation and coordinated action to reduce environmental exposures and protect population health.

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Citation: Fuller R, Landrigan PJ, Balakrishnan K, Bathan G, Bose-O'Reilly S, Brauer M, et al. Pollution and health: a progress update. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2022;6(6)–e547. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00090-0