雾霾中的老龄化

We study how the environment shapes aging. Leveraging a natural experiment in China where coal-powered winter heating caused persistently higher levels of particulate matters (PMs) north of a policy boundary for over three decades, we find that prolonged PM exposure accelerates aging beyond the biological age, leading to higher rates of multiple chronic conditions, functional disabilities, and cognitive decline in the working-age population. These effects were dormant in the early adulthood, emerged and developed rapidly in age 40s to 50s, and persisted long after exposure ends. Older cohorts experience faster and more enduring aging effects than younger ones under the same exposure, indicating greater life-cycle vulnerability to pollution-induced aging. We highlight that sustained PM exposure accelerates aging and exacerbates physical and cognitive decline in the working-age population.