Improved daily PM_2.5 estimates in India reveal inequalities in recent enhancement of air quality.

ABSTRACT: Poor ambient air quality poses a substantial global health threat. However, accurate measurement remains challenging, particularly in countries such as India where ground monitors are scarce despite high expected exposure and health burdens. This lack of precise measurements impedes understanding of changes in pollution exposure over time and across populations. Here, we develop open-source daily fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) datasets at a 10-kilometer resolution for India from 2005 to 2023 using a two-stage machine learning model validated on held-out monitor data. Analyzing long-term air quality trends, we find that PM_2.5 concentrations increased across most of the country until around 2016 and then declined partly due to favorable meteorology in southern India. R

SUBMITTER: Kawano A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11759042 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature