Journal article
Estimating State-Specific Contributions to PM2.5- and O3-Related Health Burden from Residential Combustion and Electricity Generating Unit Emissions in the United States
Environmental health perspectives, Vol.125(3), pp.324-332
03/2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/121910
PMCID: PMC5332198
PMID: 27586513
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
Background:
Residential combustion (RC) and electricity generating unit (EGU) emissions adversely impact air quality and human health by increasing ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). Studies to date have not isolated contributing emissions by state of origin (source-state), which is necessary for policy makers to determine efficient strategies to decrease health impacts.
Objectives:
In this study, we aimed to estimate health impacts (premature mortalities) attributable to PM2.5 and O3 from RC and EGU emissions by precursor species, source sector, and source-state in the continental United States for 2005.
Methods:
We used the Community Multiscale Air Quality model employing the decoupled direct method to quantify changes in air quality and epidemiological evidence to determine concentration–response functions to calculate associated health impacts.
Results:
We estimated 21,000 premature mortalities per year from EGU emissions, driven by sulfur dioxide emissions forming PM2.5. More than half of EGU health impacts are attributable to emissions from eight states with significant coal combustion and large downwind populations. We estimate 10,000 premature mortalities per year from RC emissions, driven by primary PM2.5 emissions. States with large populations and significant residential wood combustion dominate RC health impacts. Annual mortality risk per thousand tons of precursor emissions (health damage functions) varied significantly across source-states for both source sectors and all precursor pollutants.
Conclusions:
Our findings reinforce the importance of pollutant-specific, location-specific, and source-specific models of health impacts in design of health-risk minimizing emissions control policies.
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Details
- Title
- Estimating State-Specific Contributions to PM2.5- and O3-Related Health Burden from Residential Combustion and Electricity Generating Unit Emissions in the United States
- Creators
- Stefani L Penn - Boston UniversitySaravanan Arunachalam - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillMatthew WoodyWendy Heiger-Bernays - Boston UniversityYorghos Tripodis - Boston UniversityJonathan I Levy - Boston University
- Publication Details
- Environmental health perspectives, Vol.125(3), pp.324-332
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Emissions
- Publisher
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Grants
- Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900620454701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article