[Health Benefit Assessment of PM_2.5 Pollution Control in Beijing]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Environmental Economics

Background:

• Particulate Matter (PM2.5) pollution poses significant risks to public health and the economy.
• Effective air pollution control strategies are crucial for regional environmental monitoring and prevention.
• Beijing's attainment of the secondary standard limit for PM2.5 (35 μg·m⁻³) provides a case study for assessing control benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the health and economic benefits of PM2.5 pollution control in Beijing's 16 municipal districts.
• To analyze trends in PM2.5 concentrations, health effects, and economic benefits from 2016 to 2019.
• To identify regional variations in health and economic benefits derived from pollution control measures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Poisson regression relative risk models to estimate health risks.
• Employed environmental value assessment methods to quantify economic benefits.
• Analyzed data from Beijing's 16 municipal districts between 2016 and 2019.

Main Results:

• PM2.5 concentrations decreased from 73 μg·m⁻³ in 2016 to 42 μg·m⁻³ in 2019.
• The number of health beneficiaries declined annually by approximately 42.67%.
• Health economic benefits as a share of GDP dropped from 3.16% to 0.55%, with per capita benefits decreasing from 3727.61 to 906.58 yuan.

Conclusions:

• PM2.5 pollution control in Beijing yielded demonstrable health and economic benefits, though these benefits showed a declining trend.
• Regional disparities in benefits were observed, with districts like Fengtai, Tongzhou, and Daxing showing higher outcomes.
• Continued monitoring and targeted strategies are essential for maximizing the health and economic advantages of air pollution control.