Journal article
Health impacts and economic losses assessment of the 2013 severe haze event in Beijing area
The Science of the total environment, Vol.511, pp.553-561
04/01/2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.005
PMID: 25585158
Abstract
Haze is a serious air pollution problem in China, especially in Beijing and surrounding areas, affecting visibility, public health and regional climate. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model was used to simulate PM2.5 (particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm) concentrations during the 2013 severe haze event in Beijing, and health impacts and health-related economic losses were calculated based on model results. Compared with surface monitoring data, the model results reflected pollution concentrations accurately (correlation coefficients between simulated and measured PM2.5 were 0.7, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 in Beijing, Tianjin, Xianghe and Xinglong stations, respectively). Health impacts assessments show that the PM2.5 concentrations in January might cause 690 (95% confidence interval (CI): (490, 890)) premature deaths, 45,350 (95% CI: (21,640, 57,860)) acute bronchitis and 23,720 (95% CI: (17,090, 29,710)) asthma cases in Beijing area. Results of the economic losses assessments suggest that the haze in January 2013 might lead to 253.8 (95% CI: (170.2, 331.2)) million US$ losses, accounting for 0.08% (95% CI: (0.05%, 0.1%)) of the total 2013 annual gross domestic product (GDP) of Beijing.
•Health impacts of the 2013 Beijing haze event are estimated.•Health-related economic losses are also calculated.•The PM2.5 concentrations in January 2013 might cause 690 deaths.•This haze event might lead to 253.8 million US$ losses.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Health impacts and economic losses assessment of the 2013 severe haze event in Beijing area
- Creators
- Meng Gao - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USASarath K Guttikunda - Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USAGregory R Carmichael - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAYuesi Wang - State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaZirui Liu - State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaCharles O Stanier - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAPablo E Saide - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAMan Yu - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Science of the total environment, Vol.511, pp.553-561
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.005
- PMID
- 25585158
- ISSN
- 0048-9697
- eISSN
- 1879-1026
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2015
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research; Nursing; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984003902202771
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