International Assessment Finds Growing Global Health Toll from Ozone Air Pollution

A new global assessment, part of the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report, Phase II (TOAR-II), reveals that premature deaths linked to long-term exposure to ground-level ozone nearly doubled worldwide between 2000 and 2020, reaching an estimated 480,000 deaths annually. The study, led by researchers at George Washington University, highlights a shifting burden towards rapidly industrializing regions in the Global South and calls for expanded monitoring and stronger pollution controls.