{
  "abstract": "Net-zero transitions are expected to reduce ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and the associated mortality burden. The magnitude and distribution of these health effects are substantially affected by energy technology choices and the resulting precursor emissions that contribute to ambient PM2.5. On the basis of a multi-model analysis using three leading energy system models for the United States (US-REGEN, GCAM-USA, and REPEAT), we demonstrate that a net-zero transition yields robust nationwide reductions in ambient PM2.5 concentrations and associated mortality. Under the net-zero scenarios, national PM2.5-attributable mortality rates in 2050 declined by 28-73% compared to 2017 across the three models. This result confirms substantial health benefits from reducing energy-sector pollution, despite concurrent population growth and aging trends that place upward pressure on mortality. Differences across the models result from how CO2 mitigation efforts are allocated across sectors and associated energy technology choices. For instance, the scale of carbon dioxide removal deployment in 2050 varies by a factor of three across the net-zero scenarios developed by the three models, influencing the amount of fossil fuel use that remains in a deeply decarbonized future and, consequently, the precursor emissions contributing to ambient PM2.5. By exploring sensitivity analyses that vary the projected emissions from non-energy activities such as wildfires, we also find that potential future increases in non-energy emissions can offset energy-sector health benefits.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey08544, United States.",
    "Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey08544, United States.",
    "Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania16802, United States.",
    "Watershed, San Francisco, California94103, United States.",
    "Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States.",
    "Evolved Energy Research, San Diego, California92101, United States.",
    "Center for Global Sustainability, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland20742, United States.",
    "Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey08544, United States.",
    "Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) , Palo Alto, California94304, United States.",
    "Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin53726, United States.",
    "Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire03755, United States."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jinyu Shiwang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7475-9640"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Wei Peng",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1980-0759"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "John Bistline",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4816-5739"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Jamil Farbes"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xinyuan Huang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3604-8124"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Gokul Iyer"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Jesse D Jenkins",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9670-7793"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Eladio Knipping"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Nicholas Mailloux",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4041-3665"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Erin Mayfield",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9843-8905"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Aranya Venkatesh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Alicia Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Qianru Zhu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f157qa42j7rey.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1021/acs.est.6c02914",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13629629",
  "id": "f157qa42j7rey",
  "issns": [
    "0013-936X",
    "1520-5851"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916445",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2307|Air Quality and Health Impacts"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213462795",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13629629?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13629629",
  "pmid": "42916445",
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f157qa42j7rey.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42916445",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916445"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2307|Air Quality and Health Impacts",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A Multi-Model Assessment of the Air Quality and Health Impacts of U.S. Energy Decarbonization.",
  "title_text": "A Multi-Model Assessment of the Air Quality and Health Impacts of U.S. Energy Decarbonization.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f157qa42j7rey",
  "venue": "Environmental science & technology",
  "versions": []
}