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ID: 166328

Health and economic benefits of cleaner residential heating in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region in China / Zhang, Xiang

Zhang, Xiang	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

Millions of households in many underdeveloped countries use coal stoves for heating, which remains a major air pollution source. Since 2015, policies for substituting residential coal use with electricity have been implemented at unprecedented levels in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, one of the most severely air polluted areas in China. This study evaluated the health benefits of the residential “coal-to-electricity” policy in the BTH region. We developed an integrated assessment model to investigate the impact of the policy on both the ambient and indoor air quality improvement. The private health benefits from indoor air quality improvements do not justify the costs. However, adding the spillover public health benefits from ambient air quality improvements, the policy brings net social benefits to the BTH region. Compared to a no-policy scenario, Beijing obtains the most health benefits and enjoys the most synergies from regional cooperation among the three provinces/municipalities. Hebei bears the highest cost since it has more households fueled by coal. Our results showing net social benefits provide support for a massive and accelerated implementation of this policy in the BTH region. The provincial distributional results can provide a reference for subsidies from Beijing and Tianjin to Hebei for achieving region-wide implementation.

Key Words

Health Benefits ; Indoor Air Pollution ; Residential Heating ; Coal-to-Electricity Policy ; Ambient Air Pollution ; IMED Model

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ID: 182790

Industrialization, indoor and ambient air quality, and elderly mental health / Ao, Chon-Kit; Dong, Yilin; Kuo, Pei-Fen

Ao, Chon-Kit	Journal Article
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The health risks from indoor and ambient air pollution create a considerable burden to global economic development and health, especially in economies within an aging society. Previous research has established the adverse effects of air pollution on health. However, most studies do not focus on the simultaneous effect of indoor and ambient air pollution nor its health risks to the older population. This study examines the impact of exposure to both indoor and ambient air pollution for the same individuals over time on mental health by using a nationally representative longitudinal survey for middle-aged and elderly individuals in China. We find that both indoor and ambient air pollution have an adverse effect on elderly mental health and significantly increases the likelihood of having depressive symptoms. We provide evidence that the effect of indoor and ambient air pollution is associated more with less educated and females.

Key Words

Mental Health ; Elderly ; Indoor Air Pollution ; Ambient Air Pollution

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