Evaluating The Health Damage Costs Of Atmospheric Particulates

With the rapidly urbanization and industrialization, it resulted in increasing air pollution in China. The health damage caused by air pollution is paid more attention to. Epidemiological studies both in China and worldwide have proved that atmospheric particulate matter, especially inhalable particulate matter, have strong association with human health. Aboard researchers showed that the cost of health damage induced by particulate air pollution dominates the total expense of the result of air pollution. Hence, making monetary evaluation on the threat of particulate pollution and especially the inhalable particulate pollution to people health can help understanding environmental economic cost and providing the scientific evidences to economic development and environment protection.In this thesis, the theoretical basis and the object of health damage cost evaluation were discussed based on the interdisciplinary theories in environmental science, environmental economics and epidemiology etc, also combined with the approaches such as reference research, theoretical analysis, and case research. Meanwhile, the evaluation system was established and applied in the case study of Pearl River Delta Region. The main results of this thesis are as follows:(1) The healthy influence and disasters of atmospheric particulates based on the conception and the primary physical and chemical characters are analyzed. Also the most important affection on both respiratory system and cardiovascular system is indicated. When exposed to air particulate pollution, the possibility of respiratory diseases or cardiovascular diseases will increase. And it makes patients get worse and accelerate their death eventually. Actually, it depends on the size of particulates. It is obviously that there is no such a safe particulate concentration without health risks.(2) The conception of the cost of health damage is defined, which is caused by atmospheric particulates, the economic theoretical basis of damage evaluation is also discussed, and the evaluation model is constructed based on the welfare loss of health damage. The dose-response technique was chosen to assess the health effects of particulate pollution. The methods for health endpoints determination and does-response relationship determination were discussed. In order to improve precision of the result, several integrated methods were adopted. And the concentration baseline was also discussed. After some comparative analysis of evaluation techniques, adjusted human capital approach and cost of illness approach is used to calculate the health economic losses and the construction of integrated evaluation system. The uncertainty and error of this evaluation system are also discussed.(3) Appling the evaluation system into the case of Pearl River Delta Region, this thesis estimates the health damage costs of atmospheric particulates in Pearl River Delta Region. The results show that it cost 567.48 billion Yuan in the year 2006, accounting for 2.62% of the GDP of that district. Both premature death which is caused by atmospheric particulates and chronic bronchitis are reasons for the cost. Premature death reaches 82.6% of the total loss. Considering mostly costs are in Foshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan, it is suggested that reduce atmospheric particulates in these cities will be the most efficient way to reduce the damage of human health in Pearl River Delta Region.