Health benefits of on-road transportation pollution control programs in China

Abstract

China started to implement comprehensive measures to mitigate traffic pollution at the end of 1990s, but the comprehensive effects, especially on ambient air quality and public health, have not yet been systematically evaluated. In this study, we analyze the effects of vehicle emission control measures on ambient air pollution and associated deaths attributable to long-term exposures of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and O3 based on an integrated research framework that combines scenario analysis, air quality modeling, and population health risk assessment. We find that the total impact of these control measures was substantial. Vehicular emissions during 1998–2015 would have been 2–3 times as large as they actually were, had those measures not been implemented. The national population-weighted annual average concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 in 2015 would have been higher by 11.7 μg/m3 and 8.3 parts per billion, respectively, and the number of deaths attributable to 2015 air pollution would have been higher by 510 thousand (95% confidence interval: 360 thousand to 730 thousand) without these controls. Our analysis shows a concentration of mortality impacts in densely populated urban areas, motivating local policymakers to design stringent vehicle emission control policies. The results imply that vehicle emission control will require policy designs that are more multifaceted than traditional controls, primarily represented by the strict emission standards, with careful consideration of the challenges in coordinated mitigation of both PM2.5 and O3 in different regions, to sustain improvement in air quality and public health given continuing swift growth in China’s vehicle population.

Air pollution prevention in Stara Zagora Municipality

“…Traffic also retains its place as a major source of air pollution and a cause of premature mortality and a wide range of global diseases due to growing urbanization and rapid population growth [24,25]. Measures to reduce traffic pollution by controlling vehicle emissions and a comprehensive policy agenda with strict emission standards are needed [26]. When assessing public health risks from air pollution, it must take into account the chemical differences of dust particles in different regions [27].…”

Effects of Anthropogenic Emissions from Different Sectors on PM2.5 Concentrations in Chinese Cities

“…China's national statistics [70] show that from 1990 to 2012, the number of motor vehicles in China has increased 22 times in 22 years, and traffic emissions have become one of the largest sources of air pollution in China. On the other hand, this may be due to the fact that these areas are located in the central and eastern parts of China, with higher road network density, higher car ownership, and accelerated photochemical reactions under suitable weather conditions, which have an important impact on PM 2.5 concentrations [7,71,72].…”

Measuring and Quantifying Impacts of Environmental Parameters on Airborne Particulate Matter in Under-Viaducts Spaces in Wuhan, China

“…Urban air pollution poses serious environmental health risks and severe threats to humans and ecosystems [ 55 , 56 ]. Particulate pollution from road traffic, in particular, is becoming increasingly severe [ 57 ]. Furthermore, with the large-scale construction of urban viaducts and rapid increase in the number of UVS areas [ 14 , 16 ], environmental health should be used as an indicator for measuring the development and utilization of UVSs.…”