# An improved and uptaded 20-years air pollution exposure dataset for Germany 2003-2022 (APExpose_DE v6)

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an updated dataset tracking air pollution in Germany from 2003 to 2022, which can help study how pollution affects health outcomes.

## Contribution

The paper presents an improved and expanded air pollution dataset for Germany with enhanced gap-filling methods and extended time coverage.

## Key findings

- The APExpose_DE dataset now covers 20 years of air pollution data at the NUTS-3 spatial resolution in Germany.
- The dataset includes refined methods for filling data gaps, improving its reliability for health-related research.

## Abstract

The link between exposure to polluted air and the outcome of diseases (e.g., cardio-vascular diseases, COVID-19) has been established. Nevertheless, research on the quantification of the relationship is still relevant today. Quantifying the link between the ambient atmospheric concentrations of pollutants and the outcome of diseases requires knowledge on the levels of the pollutants through time at various scales. In the present work, an improved and updated version of the APExpose_DE dataset is described. The dataset provides air pollution metrics at the yearly time resolution and at the spatial resolution of the NUTS-3 level, corresponding to the Landkeis/Kreisfreie Stadt in Germany. The dataset evolved from its initial form by expanding the years covered and by refining the gap-filling methodology. The dataset can serve as input to, e.g., observational studies.