Characteristics of Air Pollutants Emission and Its Impacts on Public Health of Chengdu, Western China

Pollution caused by PM(2.5) and O(3) are common environmental problems which can easily affect human health. Chengdu is a major central city in Western China, and there is little research on the regional emissions and health effects of air pollution in Chengdu. According to the Multi-resolution Emissions Inventory of the Chinese Model, 2017 (MEIC v1.3), this study compiled the air pollutant emission inventory of Chengdu. The results show that the pollutant emission of Chengdu is generally higher in winter than in summer. The southeast area of Chengdu is the key area where emissions of residential and industrial sectors are dominant. Through air quality simulation with a Weather Research and Forecasting model, coupled with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ), the health effects of PM(2.5) and O(3) in winter and summer in Chengdu of 2017 were investigated. The primary pollutant in winter is PM(2.5) and O(3) in summer. PM(2.5) pollution accounted for 351 deaths in January and July 2017, and O(3) pollution accounted for 328 deaths in the same period. There were 276 deaths in rural areas and 413 in urban areas. In January and July 2017, the health economic loss caused by PM(2.5) accounted for 0.0974% of the gross regional product (GDP) of Chengdu in 2017, and the health economic loss caused by O(3) accounted for 0.0910%.