Burden of disease in Germany attributed to ambient particulate matter pollution: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Introduction: Ambient fine particulate matter pollution with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM_2.5) is a significant risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), leading to a substantial disease burden, decreased quality of life, and deaths globally. This study aimed to investigate the disease and mortality burdens attributed to PM_2.5 in Germany in 2019. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 were used to investigate disability-adjusted life–years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and deaths attributed to ambient PM_2.5 pollution in Germany. Results: In 2019, ambient PM_2.5 pollution in Germany was associated with significant health impacts, contributing to 27,040 deaths (2.82% of total deaths), 568,784 DALYs (2.09% of total DALYs), 135,725 YLDs (1.09% of total YLDs), and 433,058 YLLs (2.92% of total YLLs). The analysis further revealed that cardiometabolic and respiratory conditions, such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and diabetes mellitus, were the leading causes of mortality and disease burden associated with ambient PM_2.5 pollution in Germany from 1990–2019. Comparative assessments between 1990 and 2019 underscored ambient PM_2.5 as a consistent prominent risk factor, ranking closely with traditional factors like smoking, arterial hypertension, and alcohol use contributing to deaths, DALYs, YLDs, and YLLs. Conclusion: Ambient PM_2.5 pollution is one of the major health risk factors contributing significantly to the burden of disease and mortality in Germany, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions to address its substantial contribution to chronic NCDs.