International trade linked with disease incidence from airborne particulate pollution

The importance of mitigating air pollution is well understood, while protecting people from airborne diseases is not. A comparison between the geographic locations of PM emissions and those of airborne diseases shows large... [ view full abstract ]

The importance of mitigating air pollution is well understood, while protecting people from airborne diseases is not. A comparison between the geographic locations of PM emissions and those of airborne diseases shows large discrepancy. The incidence of PM emissions is dominated by countries outside of Asia, while half of the airborne disease incidences occur in China and India. Dealing with the air pollution issue from the endpoint (i.e. PM emissions caused disease) is more relevant to health. The high airborne disease incidences caused by air pollution in developing countries, the production side of supply chains, originate from the demand for goods in developed countries, the consumer side of supply chains. We calculate the airborne disease footprints of 189 countries, and link the workers who are suffering from severe airborne disease with the consumers who are enjoying the goods without suffering the health risks of workers. These results can be helpful for international organizations and policy-makers to guide joint global efforts for combating airborne diseases.