Researchers focused on long-term trends in lung cancer burden due to PM 2.5 exposure, which is a major contributor to air pollution. They used the Global Burden of Disease 2019 project, to collect mortality data related to lung cancer. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) because of PM 2.5 exposure was shown to trend slowly upwards from 1990 to 2019, and the ASMR attributable to ambient PM 2.5 exposure rose significantly, that attributable to household PM 2.5 exposure reduced. Findings revealed that the kind of air pollution resulting in lung cancer in China has changed from household air pollution to ambient air pollution. More detrimental impacts of PM 2.5 exposure were seen in men and in older individuals. These data call for putting more emphasis on ambient air pollution and on strengthening execution of effective public policies and other interventions in China.
