Journal article
Modeling variability in air pollution-related health damages from individual airport emissions
Environmental research, Vol.156, pp.791-800
07/2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/120351
PMID: 28501677
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
In this study, we modeled concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) attributable to precursor emissions from individual airports in the United States, developing airport-specific health damage functions (deaths per 1000t of precursor emissions) and physically-interpretable regression models to explain variability in these functions. We applied the Community Multiscale Air Quality model using the Decoupled Direct Method to isolate PM2.5- or O3-related contributions from precursor pollutants emitted by 66 individual airports. We linked airport- and pollutant-specific concentrations with population data and literature-based concentration-response functions to create health damage functions. Deaths per 1000t of primary PM2.5 emissions ranged from 3 to 160 across airports, with variability explained by population patterns within 500km of the airport. Deaths per 1000t of precursors for secondary PM2.5 varied across airports from 0.1 to 2.7 for NOx, 0.06 to 2.9 for SO2, and 0.06 to 11 for VOCs, with variability explained by population patterns and ambient concentrations influencing particle formation. Deaths per 1000t of O3 precursors ranged from −0.004 to 1.0 for NOx and 0.03 to 1.5 for VOCs, with strong seasonality and influence of ambient concentrations. Our findings reinforce the importance of location- and source-specific health damage functions in design of health-maximizing emissions control policies.
[Display omitted]
•We modeled aviation emissions of fine particulate matter and ozone precursors.•We developed airport-specific health damage functions (deaths per ton emissions).•We developed regression models to explain variability in health damage functions.•Highest contributing airports to health impacts are located near dense urban areas.
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Details
- Title
- Modeling variability in air pollution-related health damages from individual airport emissions
- Creators
- Stefani L Penn - Boston UniversityScott T Boone - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Institute for the Environment, 100 Europa Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27517, United StatesBrian C Harvey - Boston UniversityWendy Heiger-Bernays - Boston UniversityYorghos Tripodis - Boston UniversitySarav Arunachalam - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillJonathan I Levy - Boston University
- Publication Details
- Environmental research, Vol.156, pp.791-800
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Emissions
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- Grants
- 10-C-NE-BU, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA13-C-AJFE-BU, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900620454601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article