RESUMO
Objectives: This study aims to estimate the short-term preventable mortality and associated economic costs of complying with the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines (AQGs) limit values for PM10 and PM2.5 in nine major Latin American cities. Methods: We estimated city-specific PM-mortality associations using time-series regression models and calculated the attributable mortality fraction. Next, we used the value of statistical life to calculate the economic benefits of complying with the WHO AQGs limit values. Results: In most cities, PM concentrations exceeded the WHO AQGs limit values more than 90% of the days. PM10 was found to be associated with an average excess mortality of 1.88% with concentrations above WHO AQGs limit values, while for PM2.5 it was 1.05%. The associated annual economic costs varied widely, between US$ 19.5 million to 3,386.9 million for PM10, and US$ 196.3 million to 2,209.6 million for PM2.5. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is an urgent need for policymakers to develop interventions to achieve sustainable air quality improvements in Latin America. Complying with the WHO AQGs limit values for PM10 and PM2.5 in Latin American cities would substantially benefits for urban populations.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar , Cidades , Material Particulado , Organização Mundial da Saúde , Material Particulado/análise , Material Particulado/economia , Humanos , América Latina , Poluição do Ar/economia , Poluição do Ar/prevenção & controle , Poluição do Ar/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/economia , Mortalidade , Exposição Ambiental/prevenção & controle , Exposição Ambiental/economiaAssuntos
Exposição Ambiental , Intoxicação por Chumbo , Chumbo , Criança , Humanos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Exposição Ambiental/prevenção & controle , Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Chumbo/economia , Intoxicação por Chumbo/epidemiologia , Intoxicação por Chumbo/mortalidade , Intoxicação por Chumbo/prevenção & controleRESUMO
Globally, the influx of refugee, migrant, and immigrant populations into small centers of industrialized agriculture has called attention to a looming public health crisis. As small towns shift from remote villages into rural, agri-industrial centers, they offer limited access to amenities needed to support human well-being. Our study focused on three Iowa towns that continue to experience an increase in under-represented minority populations and decline of majority populations as a proxy for studying shifting populations in an era of industrialized agriculture and global capital. We aimed to understand the socioecological impact of built environments-outdoor locations where people live and work-and likelihood of environmental exposures to impact vulnerable populations. Urban socioecological measures tend to present contradictory results in small towns due to their reliance on density and proximity. To compensate, we used post-occupancy evaluations (POE) to examine built environments for evidence of access to environmental design criteria to support healthy behaviors. The study systematically identified 44 locations on transects across three small towns to employ a 62 item POE and assess multiple environmental criteria to crosscut design with environmental health disparities. Principal-components factor analysis identified two distinct significant components for environmental risk and population vulnerability, supporting similar studies on parallel communities. Multilevel modeling found a divergence between supportive environmental design coupled with an increase environmental risk due to location. The combined effect likely contributes to environmental health disparities. The study provides a strategy for auditing small town built environments as well as insight into achieving equity.
Assuntos
Exposição Ambiental/economia , Saúde Ambiental/educação , Saúde Pública/economia , Agricultura/economia , Cidades/economia , Humanos , Iowa , População RuralRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias currently represent the fifth most common cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with a projected future increase as the proportion of the elderly in the population is growing. Air pollution has emerged as a plausible risk factor for AD, but studies estimating dementia cases attributable to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution and resulting monetary estimates are lacking. METHODS: We used data on average population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 for the entire population of Sweden above 30 years of age. To estimate the annual number of dementia cases attributable to air pollution in the Swedish population above 60 years of age, we used the latest concentration response functions (CRF) between PM2.5 exposure and dementia incidence, based on ten longitudinal cohort studies, for the population above 60 years of age. To estimate the monetary burden of attributable cases, we calculated total costs related to dementia, including direct and indirect lifetime costs and intangible costs by including quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost. Two different monetary valuations of QALYs in Sweden were used to estimate the monetary value of reduced quality-of-life from two different payer perspectives. RESULTS: The annual number of dementia cases attributable to PM2.5 exposure was estimated to be 820, which represents 5% of the annual dementia cases in Sweden. Direct and indirect lifetime average cost per dementia case was estimated to correspond 213,000. A reduction of PM2.5 by 1 µg/m3 was estimated to yield 101 fewer cases of dementia incidences annually, resulting in an estimated monetary benefit ranging up to 0.01% of the Swedish GDP in 2019. CONCLUSION: This study estimated that 5% of annual dementia cases could be attributed to PM2.5 exposure, and that the resulting monetary burden is substantial. These findings suggest the need to consider airborne toxic pollutants associated with dementia incidence in public health policy decisions.
Assuntos
Demência , Exposição Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais , Material Particulado , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Demência/economia , Demência/epidemiologia , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Poluentes Ambientais/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Poluentes Ambientais/economia , Humanos , Incidência , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Material Particulado/efeitos adversos , Material Particulado/análise , Material Particulado/economia , Qualidade de Vida , Suécia/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Every major federal regulation in the United States requires an economic analysis estimating its benefits and costs. Benefit-cost analyses related to regulations on formaldehyde exposure have not included asthma in part due to lack of clarity in the strength of the evidence. OBJECTIVES: 1) To conduct a systematic review of evidence regarding human exposure to formaldehyde and diagnosis, signs, symptoms, exacerbations, or other measures of asthma in humans; and 2) quantify the annual economic benefit for decreases in formaldehyde exposure. METHODS: We developed and registered a protocol in PROSPERO (Record ID #38766, CRD 42016038766). We conducted a comprehensive search of articles published up to April 1, 2020. We evaluated potential risk of bias for included studies, identified a subset of studies to combine in a meta-analysis, and rated the overall quality and strength of the evidence. We quantified economics benefit to children from a decrease in formaldehyde exposure using assumptions consistent with EPA's proposed formaldehyde rule. RESULTS: We screened 4,821 total references and identified 150 human studies that met inclusion criteria; of these, we focused on 90 studies reporting asthma status of all participants with quantified measures of formaldehyde directly relevant to our study question. Ten studies were combinable in a meta-analysis for childhood asthma diagnosis and five combinable for exacerbation of childhood asthma (wheezing and shortness of breath). Studies had low to probably-low risk of bias across most domains. A 10-µg/m3 increase in formaldehyde exposure was associated with increased childhood asthma diagnosis (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: [1.02, 1.41]). We also found a positive association with exacerbation of childhood asthma (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: [0.92, 1.28]). The overall quality and strength of the evidence was rated as "moderate" quality and "sufficient" for asthma diagnosis and asthma symptom exacerbation in both children and adults. We estimated that EPA's proposed rule on pressed wood products would result in 2,805 fewer asthma cases and total economic benefit of $210 million annually. CONCLUSION: We concluded there was "sufficient evidence of toxicity" for associations between exposure to formaldehyde and asthma diagnosis and asthma symptoms in both children and adults. Our research documented that when exposures are ubiquitous, excluding health outcomes from benefit-cost analysis can underestimate the true benefits to health from environmental regulations.
Assuntos
Asma/induzido quimicamente , Formaldeído/efeitos adversos , Asma/economia , Análise Custo-Benefício , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Formaldeído/economia , Formaldeído/toxicidade , Humanos , Exposição Ocupacional/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ocupacional/economiaAssuntos
Anestesia Geral/efeitos adversos , Anestesia Intravenosa/normas , Exposição Ambiental/prevenção & controle , Auditoria Médica/normas , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde/normas , Anestesia Geral/economia , Anestesia Intravenosa/economia , Anestesia Intravenosa/métodos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Hospitais de Ensino/economia , Hospitais de Ensino/métodos , Hospitais de Ensino/normas , Humanos , Auditoria Médica/economia , Auditoria Médica/métodos , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde/economiaRESUMO
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) substantially cost society as a result of increases in disease and disability but-unlike other toxicant classes such as carcinogens-have yet to be codified into regulations as a hazard category. This Series paper examines economic, regulatory, and policy approaches to limit human EDC exposures and describes potential improvements. In the EU, general principles for EDCs call for minimisation of human exposure, identification as substances of very high concern, and ban on use in pesticides. In the USA, screening and testing programmes are focused on oestrogenic EDCs exclusively, and regulation is strictly risk-based. Minimisation of human exposure is unlikely without a clear overarching definition for EDCs and relevant pre-marketing test requirements. We call for a multifaceted international programme (eg, modelled on the International Agency for Research in Cancer) to address the effects of EDCs on human health-an approach that would proactively identify hazards for subsequent regulation.
Assuntos
Disruptores Endócrinos/economia , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Exposição Ambiental/legislação & jurisprudência , Poluentes Ambientais/economia , Política de Saúde/economia , Política de Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Disruptores Endócrinos/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Ambientais/efeitos adversos , HumanosRESUMO
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) 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 PM2.5 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 PM2.5 mortality. We show that substantial health benefits can be cost-effectively achieved by electrifying sources with high primary PM2.5 emission intensities, including industrial coal, building biomass, and industrial liquids. More stringent PM2.5 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 CO2 emissions. Control strategies limiting health damages achieve the greatest emission reductions in the East North Central and Middle Atlantic states.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar/prevenção & controle , Exposição Ambiental/prevenção & controle , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/normas , Poluição do Ar/análise , Poluição do Ar/economia , Benchmarking , Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Análise Custo-Benefício , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Humanos , Mortalidade Prematura/tendências , Material Particulado/análise , Material Particulado/normas , Estados UnidosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess risks and costs of hospital admission associated with short term exposure to fine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) for 214 mutually exclusive disease groups. DESIGN: Time stratified, case crossover analyses with conditional logistic regressions adjusted for non-linear confounding effects of meteorological variables. SETTING: Medicare inpatient hospital claims in the United States, 2000-12 (n=95 277 169). PARTICIPANTS: All Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 or older admitted to hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk of hospital admission, number of admissions, days in hospital, inpatient and post-acute care costs, and value of statistical life (that is, the economic value used to measure the cost of avoiding a death) due to the lives lost at discharge for 214 disease groups. RESULTS: Positive associations between short term exposure to PM2.5 and risk of hospital admission were found for several prevalent but rarely studied diseases, such as septicemia, fluid and electrolyte disorders, and acute and unspecified renal failure. Positive associations were also found between risk of hospital admission and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, phlebitis, thrombophlebitis, and thromboembolism, confirming previously published results. These associations remained consistent when restricted to days with a daily PM2.5 concentration below the WHO air quality guideline for the 24 hour average exposure to PM2.5. For the rarely studied diseases, each 1 µg/m3 increase in short term PM2.5 was associated with an annual increase of 2050 hospital admissions (95% confidence interval 1914 to 2187 admissions), 12 216 days in hospital (11 358 to 13 075), US$31m (£24m, 28m; $29m to $34m) in inpatient and post-acute care costs, and $2.5bn ($2.0bn to $2.9bn) in value of statistical life. For diseases with a previously known association, each 1 µg/m3 increase in short term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an annual increase of 3642 hospital admissions (3434 to 3851), 20 098 days in hospital (18 950 to 21 247), $69m ($65m to $73m) in inpatient and post-acute care costs, and $4.1bn ($3.5bn to $4.7bn) in value of statistical life. CONCLUSIONS: New causes and previously identified causes of hospital admission associated with short term exposure to PM2.5 were found. These associations remained even at a daily PM2.5 concentration below the WHO 24 hour guideline. Substantial economic costs were linked to a small increase in short term PM2.5.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Material Particulado/análise , Idoso , Poluentes Atmosféricos/economia , Poluição do Ar/economia , Custos e Análise de Custo , Estudos Cross-Over , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Feminino , Hospitalização/economia , Humanos , Masculino , Medicare , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Material Particulado/economia , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de Tempo , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Many studies have reported associations between air pollution and health impacts, but few studies have explicitly differentiated the economic effects of PM2.5 and ozone at China's regional level. This study compares the PM2.5 and ozone pollution-related health impacts based on an integrated approach. The research framework combines an air pollutant emission projection model (GAINS), an air quality model (GEOS-Chem), a health model using the latest exposure-response functions, medical prices and value of statistical life (VSL), and a general equilibrium model (CGE). Results show that eastern provinces in China encounter severer loss from PM2.5 and more benefit from mitigation policy, whereas the lower income western provinces encounter severer health impacts and economic burdens due to ozone pollution, and the impact in southern and central provinces is relatively lower. In 2030, without control policies, PM 2.5 pollution could lead to losses of 2.0% in Gross Domestic Production (GDP), 210 billion Chinese Yuan (CNY) in health expenditure and a life loss of around 10,000 billion, while ozone pollution could contribute to GDP loss by 0.09% (equivalent to 78 billion CNY), 310 billion CNY in health expenditure, and a life loss of 2300 billion CNY (equivalent to 2.7% of GDP). By contrast, with control policies, the GDP and VSLs loss in 2030 attributable to ambient air pollution could be reduced significantly. We also find that the health and economic impacts of ozone pollution are significantly lower than PM2.5, but are much more difficult to mitigate. The Chinese government should promote air pollution control policies that could jointly reduce PM2.5 and ozone pollution.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar , Modelos Teóricos , Ozônio , Material Particulado , Poluentes Atmosféricos/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/economia , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/análise , Poluição do Ar/economia , China , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Humanos , Ozônio/efeitos adversos , Ozônio/análise , Ozônio/economia , Material Particulado/efeitos adversos , Material Particulado/análise , Material Particulado/economiaRESUMO
Ambient air pollution represents one of the biggest environmental risks to health. In this study, we estimated the avoidable mortality burden attributable to ambient air pollution in Tehran, and derived the economic impact associated with these health effects. Using PM2.5 data from ground-level air pollution measurements in Tehran, we estimated PM2.5 exposure for 349 neighborhoods in Tehran, by the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP-CE). We considered five scenarios related to PM2.5 levels: an increase to 35⯵g/m3; a reduction to 25⯵g/m3; a reduction to 15⯵g/m3; a reduction to 10⯵g/m3 (the WHO's air quality guideline value); and a full roll-back, assuming a reduction to 2.4⯵g/m3. All scenarios used 2017 p.m.2.5 levels as a starting point. Using the concentration response function of the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), we estimated a total of 7146 (95% CI: 6596-7513) adult (age ≥25 years) deaths attributable to PM2.5 in 2017. The leading causes of death were ischemic heart disease (3437; 95% CI: 3315-3516), stroke (886; 95% CI: 693-1002), lower respiratory infections (531: 95% CI: 414-589), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (364; 95% CI: 271-420), and lung cancer (274; 95% CI: 236-298). The estimated total annual economic benefit (2017) of reducing PM2.5 concentration levels to 2.4⯵g/m3 was USD 0.591 (95% CI: 0.447-0.624) billion per year, using the value of a life year (VOLY) approach, and USD 2.894 (95% CI: 2.671-3.043) billion per year, using the value of a statistical life (VSL) approach.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar/estatística & dados numéricos , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Poluentes Atmosféricos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Humanos , Irã (Geográfico) , Material Particulado , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva CrônicaAssuntos
Antiasmáticos/uso terapêutico , Asma/tratamento farmacológico , Asma/epidemiologia , Exposição Ambiental , Mapeamento Geográfico , Antiasmáticos/economia , Asma/economia , Bélgica/epidemiologia , Pré-Escolar , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Feminino , Geografia , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
Assuntos
Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Pobreza/estatística & dados numéricos , Poluição por Fumaça de Tabaco/efeitos adversos , Adolescente , Adulto , Bangladesh/epidemiologia , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mães/estatística & dados numéricos , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Autorrelato , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Poluição por Fumaça de Tabaco/economia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Asthma ranks among the most costly of chronic diseases, accounting for over $50 billion annually in direct medical expenditures in the United States. At the same time, evidence has accumulated that fine particulate matter pollution can exacerbate asthma symptoms and generate substantial economic costs. To measure these costs, we use a unique nationwide panel dataset tracking asthmatic individuals' use of rescue medication and their exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 µm) concentration between 2012 and 2017, to estimate the causal relationship between pollution and inhaler use. Our sample consists of individuals using an asthma digital health platform, which relies on a wireless sensor to track the place and time of inhaler use events, as well as regular nonevent location and time indicators. These data provide an accurate measurement of inhaler use and allow spatially and temporally resolute assignment of pollution exposure. Using a high-frequency research design and individual fixed effects, we find that a 1 µg/m3 (12%) increase in weekly exposure to PM2.5 increases weekly inhaler use by 0.82%. We also show that there is seasonal, regional, and income-based heterogeneity in this response. Using our response prediction, and an estimate from the literature on the willingness to pay to avoid asthma symptoms, we show that a nationwide 1 µg/m3 reduction in particulate matter concentration would generate nearly $350 million annually in economic benefits.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/economia , Asma/economia , Asma/prevenção & controle , Material Particulado/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Custos de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Estados UnidosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Studies have documented disparities in exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC), but no studies have investigated potential implications for racial/ethnic disparities in chronic disease and associated costs. Our objective was to examine EDC levels in the US population according to race/ethnicity and to quantify disease burden and associated costs. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: EDC exposure levels in 2007-2010 were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The associated disease burden and costs for 12 exposure-response relationships were determined for non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, Mexican Americans, Other Hispanics, and Other/Multicultural. RESULTS: EDC exposure levels and associated burden of disease and costs were higher in non-Hispanic Blacks ($56.8 billion; 16.5% of total costs) and Mexican Americans ($50.1 billion; 14.6%) compared with their proportion of the total population (12.6% and 13.5%, respectively). Associated costs among non-Hispanic whites comprised 52.3% of total costs ($179.8 billion) although they comprise 66.1% of the US population. These disparities are driven by generally higher exposure to persistent pesticides and flame retardants among non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans. CONCLUSION: Our estimates suggest that racial/ethnic disparities in chronic diseases in the US may be because of chemical exposures and are an important tool to inform policies that address such disparities.
Assuntos
Doença Crônica/etnologia , Disruptores Endócrinos/intoxicação , Disparidades nos Níveis de Saúde , Adulto , Criança , Doença Crônica/economia , Doença Crônica/epidemiologia , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Feminino , Hispânico ou Latino/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , População Branca/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Severe air pollution problems have led to a rise in the Chinese public's concern. Risk perception is one of the most important indicators of the public's concern about air pollution. However, there existed few studies exploring the spatial distribution of risk perception. To fill the gap, psychometric paradigm methods was adopted to assess the public's risk perception of air pollution. A nationwide empirical study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 and 10,653 completed questionnaires were collected. According to a series of screening strategies, 9744 qualified questionnaires were included as a sample, which covered 31 China provinces (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were not included in this study). We found that 45% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the current air quality, many respondents concerned a lot about air pollution (76%) and worried about the harmful consequences of being exposed to air pollution (86%). There was significant difference in the public's risk perception and attitude toward air pollution among different regions: the respondents in the northeast region, northern coastal region, eastern coastal region and Middle Yellow river region perceived higher air pollution risk and lower satisfaction with air quality than other regions; and the public's trust in the government increased from coastal regions to inland regions. In addition, the hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to explore the effects of demographic, environmental and economic factors on public risk perception and attitude toward air pollution. Based on this, the characteristics of sensitive populations regarding air pollution were identified. What's more, we found that PM2.5 has a positive influence on perceived risk factor (PR) and can strengthen the positive correlation between PR and satisfaction with air quality (SAQ). Finally, policy implications behind these results were discussed, which can provide references and lay the foundation for policymakers and subsequent researchers.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar/prevenção & controle , Atitude , Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Política Ambiental , Percepção , China , Desenvolvimento Econômico/tendências , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Política Ambiental/economia , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Psicometria , Fatores de Risco , Análise Espacial , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Lead exposure is a legacy issue that continues to affect vulnerable population groups globally, but particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICS). We take a multi-disciplinary approach to examine the patterns of lead exposure in these countries, discuss the underlying injustices and socio-political causes, and the economic costs that are associated with exposure. We conclude with some lessons we drew from our discussion of lead across the disciplines and advocate for a number of approaches to solving this ongoing issue. These include (i) biomonitoring that could be integrated into existing health surveys or public health programs targeting young children; (ii) greater civic engagement to push for solutions; and, (iii) environmental control policies that represent a continuum of local, context-specific to broad, national-level, and even global approaches.
Assuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento/estatística & dados numéricos , Exposição Ambiental , Intoxicação por Chumbo/epidemiologia , Chumbo/toxicidade , Política , Pobreza , Criança , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Renda , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
Analyzing the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution and socio-economic factors has become a major concern in public health. Since traditional analysis methods (such as correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression) cannot provide a full assessment of this relationship, the quantile regression method was applied to overcome such a limitation at different spatial scales in this study. The results indicated that merely 3% of the population and 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) occurred under an annually mean value of 35 µg/m³ in mainland China, and the highest population exposure to PM2.5 was located in a lesser-known city named Dazhou in 2014. The analysis results at three spatial scales (grid-level, county-level, and city-level) demonstrated that the grid-level was the optimal spatial scale for analysis of socio-economic effects on exposure due to its tiny uncertainty, and the population exposure to PM2.5 was positively related to GDP. An apparent upward trend of population exposure to PM2.5 emerged at the 80th percentile GDP. For a 10 thousand yuan rise in GDP, population exposure to PM2.5 increases by 1.05 person/km² at the 80th percentile, and 1.88 person/km2 at the 95th percentile, respectively.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar/estatística & dados numéricos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , Produto Interno Bruto , Material Particulado/economia , Regressão Espacial , Poluentes Atmosféricos , China , Cidades , Humanos , Saúde Pública , Análise de Regressão , Fatores Socioeconômicos , IncertezaRESUMO
This paper examines the effect of both cumulative and transitory exposures to air pollution for the same individuals over time on cognitive performance by matching a nationally representative longitudinal survey and air quality data in China according to the exact time and geographic locations of the cognitive tests. We find that long-term exposure to air pollution impedes cognitive performance in verbal and math tests. We provide evidence that the effect of air pollution on verbal tests becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for men and the less educated. The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions.
Assuntos
Poluição do Ar , Cognição , Exposição Ambiental , Modelos Econométricos , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/economia , China , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/economia , HumanosRESUMO
There is growing recognition that implementation of low-carbon policies in urban passenger transport has near-term health co-benefits through increased physical activity and improved air quality. Nevertheless, co-benefits and related cost reductions are often not taken into account in decision processes, likely because they are not easy to capture. In an interdisciplinary multi-model approach we address this gap, investigating the co-benefits resulting from increased physical activity and improved air quality due to climate mitigation policies for three urban areas. Additionally we take a (macro-)economic perspective, since that is the ultimate interest of policy-makers. Methodologically, we link a transport modelling tool, a transport emission model, an emission dispersion model, a health model and a macroeconomic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to analyze three climate change mitigation scenarios. We show that higher levels of physical exercise and reduced exposure to pollutants due to mitigation measures substantially decrease morbidity and mortality. Expenditures are mainly born by the public sector but are mostly offset by the emerging co-benefits. Our macroeconomic results indicate a strong positive welfare effect, yet with slightly negative GDP and employment effects. We conclude that considering economic co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies in urban mobility can be put forward as a forceful argument for policy makers to take action.