PARTICULATE MATTER AIR POLLUTION REDUCTION SCENARIOS IN OSAKA, HOUSTON, BANGKOK AND SEOUL: A PROSPECTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS ANALYSIS

A. Scott Voorhees (), Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (), Prapat Pongkiatkul, Yoon Shin Kim, Wanida Jinsart, Iwao Uchiyama and Wongpun Limpaseni
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A. Scott Voorhees: Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University, 5109 Lansdowne Drive, Durham, NC 27712, USA
Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh: Environmental Engineering & Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P. O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Prapat Pongkiatkul: Environmental Engineering & Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Yoon Shin Kim: Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Korea
Wanida Jinsart: Department of General Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Iwao Uchiyama: Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan
Wongpun Limpaseni: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), 2008, vol. 10, issue 03, 265-289

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to assess potential health and productivity benefits for the year 2010 with five scenarios for reducing particulate matter (PM10and PM2.5) air pollution in the cities of Osaka, Houston, Bangkok and Seoul. Assuming a uniform 10% decline in ambient PM levels, the preventible cases of: (1) premature mortality ranged from 35 in Houston to 379 in Seoul, (2) chronic bronchitis ranged from 95 in Houston to 1,631 in Seoul, (3) cardiovascular disease ranged from 68 in Houston to 818 in Seoul, (4) pneumonia ranged from 28 in Houston to 336 in Seoul, (5) asthma attacks ranged from 388 in Osaka to 96,876 in Seoul, and (6) acute bronchitis ranged from 186 in Houston to 2,973 in Seoul. The per million population central estimate of the purchasing power parity adjusted value of health and productivity benefits ranged from $25 million in Bangkok to $160 million in Osaka. There was a wide variability in measured PM10levels across cities. Percentages of active monitors reporting concentrations above 50 μg/m3(annual average) or 150 μg/m3(24-hour average) in 2001–2002 were 0% in Houston, 5% in Osaka, 33% in Bangkok and 92% in Seoul. Assuming a non-uniform reduction in PM only at concentration hotspots with levels above air quality standards, the number of preventible cases of mortality ranged from 0 in Houston to 1,104 in Seoul. The central estimate of total benefits ranged from $0 in Houston to $240 million in Seoul.

Keywords: Air pollution; particulate matter; benefits analysis; health effects; cost benefit analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1142/S1464333208003093

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