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Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zhang, J; Mauzerall, DL; Zhu, T; Liang, S; Ezzati, M; Remais, JV
Published in: Lancet (London, England)
March 2010

Environmental risk factors, especially air and water pollution, are a major source of morbidity and mortality in China. Biomass fuel and coal are burned for cooking and heating in almost all rural and many urban households, resulting in severe indoor air pollution that contributes greatly to the burden of disease. Many communities lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and thus the risk of waterborne disease in many regions is high. At the same time, China is rapidly industrialising with associated increases in energy use and industrial waste. Although economic growth from industrialisation has improved health and quality of life indicators, it has also increased the release of chemical toxins into the environment and the rate of environmental disasters, with severe effects on health. Air quality in China's cities is among the worst in the world, and industrial water pollution has become a widespread health hazard. Moreover, emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases from energy use are rapidly increasing. Global climate change will inevitably intensify China's environmental health troubles, with potentially catastrophic outcomes from major shifts in temperature and precipitation. Facing the overlap of traditional, modern, and emerging environmental dilemmas, China has committed substantial resources to environmental improvement. The country has the opportunity to address its national environmental health challenges and to assume a central role in the international effort to improve the global environment.

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Published In

Lancet (London, England)

DOI

EISSN

1474-547X

ISSN

0140-6736

Publication Date

March 2010

Volume

375

Issue

9720

Start / End Page

1110 / 1119

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollution
  • Public Policy
  • Humans
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Environmental Restoration and Remediation
  • Environmental Health
  • Climate Change
  • China
  • Air Pollution
 

Citation

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Zhang, J., Mauzerall, D. L., Zhu, T., Liang, S., Ezzati, M., & Remais, J. V. (2010). Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water. Lancet (London, England), 375(9720), 1110–1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60062-1
Zhang, Junfeng, Denise L. Mauzerall, Tong Zhu, Song Liang, Majid Ezzati, and Justin V. Remais. “Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water.Lancet (London, England) 375, no. 9720 (March 2010): 1110–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60062-1.
Zhang J, Mauzerall DL, Zhu T, Liang S, Ezzati M, Remais JV. Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water. Lancet (London, England). 2010 Mar;375(9720):1110–9.
Zhang, Junfeng, et al. “Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water.Lancet (London, England), vol. 375, no. 9720, Mar. 2010, pp. 1110–19. Epmc, doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60062-1.
Zhang J, Mauzerall DL, Zhu T, Liang S, Ezzati M, Remais JV. Environmental health in China: progress towards clean air and safe water. Lancet (London, England). 2010 Mar;375(9720):1110–1119.
Journal cover image

Published In

Lancet (London, England)

DOI

EISSN

1474-547X

ISSN

0140-6736

Publication Date

March 2010

Volume

375

Issue

9720

Start / End Page

1110 / 1119

Related Subject Headings

  • Water Pollution
  • Public Policy
  • Humans
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Environmental Restoration and Remediation
  • Environmental Health
  • Climate Change
  • China
  • Air Pollution