Coordinated health effects attributable to particulate matter and other pollutants exposures in the North China Plain

Abstract

Hebei Province, located in the North China Plain (NCP) and encircling Beijing and Tianjin, has been suffering from severe air pollution. The monthly average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration was up to 276 μg/m3 in Hebei Province, which adversely affects human health. However, few studies evaluated the coordinated health impact of exposure to PM (PM2.5 and PM10) and other key air pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO, and surface ozone (O3)). In this study, we systematically analyzed the health risks (both mortality and morbidity) due to multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province. The economic loss associated with these health consequences was estimated using the value of statistical life (VSL) and cost of illness (COI) methods. Our results show the health burden and economic loss attributable to multiple ambient air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province is substantial. In 2017, the total premature mortality from multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province was 69,833 (95% CI: 55,549–83,028), which was 2.9 times higher than that of the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). Most of the potential economic loss (79.65%) was attributable to premature mortality from air pollution. The total economic loss due to the health consequences of multiple air pollutants exposures was 175.16 (95% CI: 134.61–224.61) billion Chinese Yuan (CNY), which was 4.92% of Hebei Province's annual gross domestic product (GDP). Thus, the adverse health effects and economic loss caused by exposure to multiple air pollutants should be seriously taken into consideration. To alleviate these damages, Hebei's government ought to establish more stringent measures and regulations to better control air pollution.