Air pollution control strategies directly limiting national health damages in the US

Abstract

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) from fuel combustion significantly contributes to global and US mortality. Traditional control strategies typically reduce emissions for specific air pollutants and sectors to maintain pollutant concentrations below standards. Here we directly set national PM 2.5 mortality cost reduction targets within a global human-earth system model with US state-level energy systems, in scenarios to 2050, to identify endogenously the control actions, sectors, and locations that most cost-effectively reduce PM 2.5 mortality. We show that substantial health benefits can be cost-effectively achieved by electrifying sources with high primary PM 2.5 emission intensities, including industrial coal, building biomass, and industrial liquids. More stringent PM 2.5 reduction targets expedite the phaseout of high emission intensity sources, leading to larger declines in major pollutant emissions, but very limited co-benefits in reducing CO 2 emissions. Control strategies limiting health damages achieve the greatest emission reductions in the East North Central and Middle Atlantic states.

How (Un)sustainable Environments Are Related to the Diffusion of COVID-19: The Relation between Coronavirus Disease 2019, Air Pollution, Wind Resource and Energy

“…However, these conclusions are of course tentative because there are several challenges to such studies that can only capture certain aspects of the ongoing complex relations between atmospheric pollution, diffusion of viral infectivity, production of renewable energy and other factors of socioeconomic and environmental systems. Therefore, this study encourages further investigations into vital aspects of the spread of COVID-19 and other viral agents in highly industrialized areas to design appropriate sustainable policies that can reduce air pollution, improve air quality and control the spread of new waves of COVID-19 pandemic and novel infections similar to COVID-19, reducing the total impact on public health and also economic system [51][52][53]. To conclude, in the presence of regions with high air pollution and with low renewable (wind) energy production that deteriorate environment, damage public health and facilitate the spread of infectious diseases, a comprehensive strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to COVID-19 must be also designed by considering recommendations of sustainable and environmental sciences for cleaner production and higher utilization of energy from renewable resources and sustainable technologies for improving the environment, economic system and public health in the long run.…”

The effects of atmospheric stability with low wind speed and of air pollution on the accelerated transmission dynamics of COVID-19

“…This study therefore encourages further investigations with comprehensive approaches to explain the relationships underlying the diffusion of viral agents in the presence of high levels of air pollution and atmosphere stability in cities. The objective must be to design sustainable and environmental policies that can support appropriate public health measures (e.g., reduced air pollution can control the spread of infectious diseases similar to COVID-19 [45]). Hence, a comprehensive strategy to constrain future epidemics similar to the COVID-19 must be designed also considering factors of atmosphere, climate, soil, etc.…”

Role of atmospheric particulate matter exposure in COVID-19 and other health risks in human: A review

“…The primary step for reaching the regulatory standards can be the identification of emission-reduction targets and development of control strategies to achieve the targets ( Ou et al, 2020b ). Further, there is a correlation exists between the air pollutants and socio-economic factors ( Chen et al, 2020b ).…”

“…Besides, the vehicular emissions can be controlled by decreasing the total number of old age vehicles. Furthermore, substantial health benefits can be attained by the substitution of high PM 2.5 emission sources such as industrial coal and industrial liquids with cost-effective electricity use from renewable energy (solar and wind power) ( Ou et al, 2020b ). In this context, Liang et al (2019) have reported that fleet electrification in China can decrease the fine PM concentration and provide more health benefits.…”