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May 12, 2026

Research Seminar

Impacts of Air Pollution on Mortality and Life Expectancy in California

CARB will host a seminar on an innovative study that evaluated the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on mortality and life expectancy in California using air pollution and health data over the past two decades.  Although substantial improvements in air quality have been seen over this time period, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) remains a critical environmental health concern in California. The analysis conducted by investigators at the University of California, Berkeley compared two distinct periods from (2000–2010) and (2011–2021) to assess how health impacts have changed as air quality has improved. The research team also examined differences across age, racial, and ethnic groups to assess the impacts in vulnerable groups. In addition, researchers mapped life expectancy impacts at the census tract (CT) level across California to see if PM2.5 effects varied in vulnerable communities over time.

In this seminar, researchers will discuss how PM2.5 continued to increase the risk of death in the two time periods and will describe how the statewide improvements in air quality over time impacted this increase in mortality. The research team will also present how much longer people might live if they were not exposed to PM2.5 to show the health benefit of cleaner air. Investigators will present the important differences identified across age and ethnic groups and how some vulnerable communities show less benefits of reductions due to other factors related to a lack of resources such as access to health care and an increase in stress due to years of discriminatory practices.

Date:                 May 26, 2026
Time:                 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location:           Zoom

Register

Please register for the seminar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the seminar by computer or telephone.

For more information about this research project, visit the project’s webpage PM2.5-Specific Reductions in Life Expectancy Across Two Time Periods and Identification of Race-Ethnicity and Vulnerability | California Air Resources Board. The project webpage will host the final report, presentation slides, and seminar recording once they become available. For more information about CARB’s Research Program, visit our website or email us directly with any questions or comments at research@arb.ca.gov.

Background

Past studies provide consistent evidence that long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with increased mortality risk although few studies have quantified life-expectancy impacts. These previous studies were conducted using data on the general population but there could be differential impacts among sensitive subgroups of people. People living in overburdened communities can have disproportionate exposures and a higher risk of health impacts from air pollution due to an increased sensitivity related to limited healthcare access, substandard housing, and the lack of resources. This study fills these gaps by assessing changes in mortality risk and life-expectancy impacts from long-term exposure to PM2.5 across two distinct decades and the specific burden in sensitive subgroups in California.The study provides CARB with strong support for statewide regulatory strategies and the need for continued and targeted equity-focused interventions to address PM2.5-related mortality risks.

Biography

Jason G. Su: Dr. Su is a Senior Researcher and Principal Investigator in the School of Public Health at the Unveracity of California, Berkeley. He acquired his first PhD degree in Geographic Information System (GIS) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the second PhD in Remote Sensing at the University of Alberta in Canada. Dr. Su is also a Microsoft-certified application developer. He has two postdoctoral research experiences, one at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and the other at the University of California, Berkeley, both in environmental health research. Dr. Su applies his GIS, remote sensing, and programming skills to process large scale land use, land cover and remote sensing data and apply mathematical and machine learning algorithms for small area variation environmental exposure modeling. Dr. Su also applies machine learning modeling and bio-statistics analysis skills in environmental epidemiology studies, including modeling rescue medication use through data collected through smart inhaler sensors. Dr. Su has published more than 100 peer reviewed papers in GIS, remote sensing and environmental health and has been PI or sub-award PI for grants/contracts funded by California Air Resources Board, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Health Effects Institute, US EPA Star Program, California Breast Cancer Research Program, Canadian Institute of Health Research, and international organizations.

Special Accommodation Request

Consistent with California Government Code section 7290 et seq., special accommodation or language needs may be provided for any of the following:

• Documents made available in an alternate format or another language; and
• A disability-related reasonable accommodation.

To request these special accommodations or language needs, please contact the Research Program at research@arb.ca.gov or (916) 445-0753 as soon as possible, but no later than ten business days before the event. TTY/TDD/Speech to Speech users may dial 711 for the California Relay Service.

CARB Contact