Abstract
Although industrialisation is a crucial aspect of economic growth across develo** nations, through the release of air contaminants, industrial activities may also create adverse environmental health consequences. Noting that continuous production and other economic activities are crucial for continued survival, this study explores this issue by including the role of governance that is deemed essential but the literature is relatively sparse particularly in the context of develo** countries. This research empirically analyses the relationship between air pollution and adult mortality rates from 72 develo** countries from the period of 2010 until 2017. Particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are used as indicators of air pollution. From the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations, the results reveal that air pollution negatively affects adult mortality rate. The result reveals that a 10% increase in the PM2.5 level induces the adult mortality rates to increase between 0.04% and 0.06%. In addition, the government significantly moderates the negative effect of air pollution on adult mortality, whereby a one-unit enhancement in governance quality index reduces mortality among the adults in the develo** countries by 0.01%. On the other hand, CO2 emission also appears to be positive, but not statistically significant. The results suggest that governance and public health interplay in the sense of a transition towards economic development for improved living and health states can be achievable with improved governance quality.
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Data availability
The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Nor Asma Ahmad and Normaz Wana Ismail contributed to the study conception and model specifications. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Nor Asma Ahmad and Normaz Wana Ismail. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Nor Asma Ahmad and commented by Normaz Wana Ismail, Shaufique Fahmi Ahmad Sidique, and Nur Syazwani Mazlan. Nor Asma Ahmad, Normaz Wana Ismail, Shaufique Fahmi Ahmad Sidique, and Nur Syazwani Mazlan read and approved the final manuscript.
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Ahmad, N.A., Ismail, N.W., Ahmad Sidique, S.F. et al. Air pollution effects on adult mortality rate in develo** countries. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 8709–8721 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11191-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11191-3