A baseline assessment of residential wood burning and urban air quality in climate-vulnerable chilean cities

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive latitudinal analysis of air particulate matter (PM) across an 1400 km pollution corridor spanning Chile’s central-southern zone. We systematically analyzed PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations across eight major urban centers (2014–2015), providing crucial pre-Paris Agreement baseline data for South America’s most extensive air quality monitoring network. Our analysis reveals significant pollution gradients, with Coyhaique ranking one of the world’s most severely polluted cities (95th percentile globally, WHO database) and demonstrating an extreme 86% fine particulate matter ratio that far exceeds international urban standards. Residential wood combustion (RWC) demonstrates systematic correlations with fine PM concentrations (R2 > 0.96), suggesting RWC is the dominant pollution driver across multiple climate zones. The documented pollution patterns represent a concerning continental-scale environmental pattern, with 4900–6500 annual premature deaths directly attributable to PM2.5 exposure-one of the highest per-capita pollution mortality rates in South America. This work provides a methodological framework applicable to mountain-valley pollution systems globally while addressing critical knowledge gaps in regional air quality science. The evidence indicates the need for urgent implementation of comprehensive wood combustion control strategies and positions this research as essential baseline documentation for both national air quality policy and international climate change assessment frameworks.