Long- and short-term health benefits attributable to PM2.5 constituents reductions from 2013 to 2021: A spatiotemporal analysis in China

Abstract

Long- and short-term exposure to constituents of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) substantially affects human health. However, assessments of the health and economic benefits of reducing PM2.5 constituents are scarce. This study estimates the number of premature deaths from all-cause, cardiovascular (CVD), and respiratory diseases avoided due to reductions in daily and annual average concentrations of PM2.5 constituents. The Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program was used for two scenarios: we used yearly concentrations of PM2.5 constituents from 2013 to 2020 as the baseline concentration surface (Scenario I), and 2021 as the baseline year (Scenario II). With reductions in daily and annual average concentrations of PM2.5 constituents, 309,099 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 37,265–571,485) and 195,297 (95 % CI: 178,192–211,914) premature deaths were avoided in Scenario I, respectively; meanwhile, 347,296 (95 % CI: 79,258–604,758) and 201,567 (95 % CI: 185,038–217,530) premature deaths were avoided in Scenario II, respectively. Moreover, economic benefits associated with the prevention of premature deaths were estimated using the willingness to pay (WTP) and modified human capital (AHC) methods. The total estimated economic benefits amounted to 563.32 billion RMB (WTP) and 322.03 billion RMB (AHC) in Scenario I. In Scenario II, the associated economic benefits were 751.48 billion RMB (WTP) and 427.56 billion RMB (AHC), accounting for 0.657 and 0.374 % of China's gross domestic product in 2021, respectively. Additionally, we analyzed the sensitivity of CVD-related premature deaths to the concentrations of PM2.5 constituents, and found that CVD-related premature deaths were more sensitive to black carbon.