Toxicity-informed control of global PM2.5 emissions

Zheng, H., Wang, S., Li, X., Li, Q., Wu, D., Klimont, Z. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2630-198X, Zhao, D., Huang, L., Dong, Z., Wu, Q., Jiang, J., Jin, L.N, He, H., He, K., Zhao, J., Liu, Q., W., S., C., A.J., & H., J. (2026). Toxicity-informed control of global PM2.5 emissions. National Science Review 13 (11) 10.1093/nsr/nwag301.

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Abstract

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) remains a leading environmental health risk, yet air pollution control policies typically assume equal toxicity across emission sources. Unravelling the unequal toxicities in global PM2.5 emissions can support more effective air pollution control. Here, we integrate cell-based toxicological profiles with global emission inventories to develop the first global dataset of toxicity-adjusted PM2.5 emissions. We show that global toxicity-adjusted emissions are dominated by residential solid-fuel combustion, and that hotspots of PM2.5 mass and toxicity diverge substantially, with the highest toxicities occurring largely in regions reliant on traditional biomass. Low-income countries exhibit disproportionately high toxicity-adjusted emissions relative to their energy use, revealing a strong global environmental inequity. Incorporating unequal toxicities reshapes emission-control priorities, shifting many countries from mass-dominated industrial or power sectors towards residential combustion. We propose a toxicity-informed framework for air pollution control, which is adaptable to diverse socioeconomic contexts and can enhance global health and sustainability.

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