The Impact of Straw Burning on Mortality Rate: A Case Study of Northeast China

Abstract

Northeast is one of the main grain producing areas in China and also has a large number of straw resources. However, due to the high cost of recycling and the limited level of science and technology, most of the straw resources are not recycled and are directly burned in the open. Straw burning produces large quantities of toxic gases and some suspended particles, which have a serious impact on human health and the environment. This report analyses straw burning data, air quality indices, particulate matter concentrations, and mortality rates in the Northeast, and finds that straw burning is serious in many of the more populous cities in the Northeast, and that these cities also have poorer air quality. At the same time declining air quality increases people's mortality rates. Therefore, this paper argues that straw burning can have negative externalities on the environment, thus affecting mortality rates. Government incentives can be introduced to reduce straw burning, thereby increasing social benefits.