[Influence of PM Pollution on Health Burden and Economic Loss in China].

Research on health and the economic losses caused by PM pollution nationwide is critical for pollution control planning. First, the spatiotemporal distribution of PM and exposure levels were simulated and analyzed using the air quality model (WRF-Chem) in China in 2016. Then, the health burden and economic loss caused by PM pollution were estimated using environmental health risk and environmental value assessment methods. Finally, the health and economic benefits from achieving specific PM control targets were estimated. In 2016 in China, high levels of PM were concentrated in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, the Sichuan Basin, and the desert areas in northwest China. Furthermore, 71.49% of the total population of China was exposed to an environment with PM concentrations higher than 35 μg·m. Subsequently, the national PM-related mortality was 1.06 million, accounting for 10.9% of the total deaths in China. Stroke and ischemic heart disease accounted for approximately 80% of the total PM-related deaths caused by the five diseases studied. Meanwhile, the PM pollution resulted in economic losses of 705.93 billion yuan, which was 0.95% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016. There were significant spatial differences in the health burden and economic loss, which primarily occurred in regions with high PM levels or population density. Moreover, reducing PM to 35 μg·m would only result in a 17.11% reduction in the health burden and economic loss, while a more exacting standard (reducing PM to 10 μg·m) would bring 80.47% of the health and economic benefits. It is suggested that environmental managers further strengthen their control to better protect the health and wealth benefits of residents, especially for sensitive groups, such as patients with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, particularly in areas with high premature mortality.