Threats to human health and ecosystem: Looking for air-pollution related damage since 1990

Ambient air pollution is a global issue, which poses serious threat to humans and ecosystem. To address such a threat, air pollution damage needs be explored from the environmental and economic perspectives to achieve precise management aimed at the region and industry. Here, we analyze carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matters, and nitrogen oxides related damage at the city and national levels. During 1990–2019 in China, the rapid increase in the ecosystem quality damage mainly resulted from 2.6 times growth of carbon dioxide, whereas particulate matter caused a slight decrease in human health. Economic costs peaked at US$8.08 × 1011 in 2014 and fell back to US$5.14 × 1011 in 2019. Air pollution-related damage mainly occurs in urban agglomeration areas that consume substantial fossil fuel for power generation, metals smelting, and residential and vehicular use. Results suggest focusing on the aforementioned high-polluting sectors, promoting renewable energy instead of coal, and considering the differences in pollution sources of cities to achieve air pollution damage reduction by targeted policies and measures. •Air pollution-related damage is explored from environmental and economic perspective.•Power, metallurgy, non-metal product, resident use, and vehicle are top contributors.•Air pollution damage mainly occurs in city cluster with high fossil fuel consumption.•Economic level and energy intensity is the main driving factors of damage change.