Linkage analysis of economic consumption, pollutant emissions and concentrations based on a city-level multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model and atmospheric transport

Yuan Wang; Xinming Li; Yun Sun; Lanxin Zhang; Zhi Qiao; Zengkai Zhang; Heran Zheng; Jing Meng; Yaling Lu; Yue Li

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110819

Linkage analysis of economic consumption, pollutant emissions and concentrations based on a city-level multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model and atmospheric transport

J Environ Manage. 2020 Sep 15:270:110819. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110819. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Authors

Yuan Wang¹, Xinming Li¹, Yun Sun¹, Lanxin Zhang¹, Zhi Qiao², Zengkai Zhang³, Heran Zheng⁴, Jing Meng⁵, Yaling Lu⁶, Yue Li¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
² School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: qiaozhi@tju.edu.cn.
³ College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: zengkaizhang@tju.edu.cn.
⁴ School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
⁵ The Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, University College London, London, UK.
⁶ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Planning and Policy Simulation, Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, Beijing, China.

PMID: 32721296
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110819

Abstract

China is experiencing serious atmospheric pollution, which also exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity. The Chinese government has implemented targeted pollution control measures at the city level, emphasizing coordination among cities to prevent and control air pollution in key regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration. This study combined an inter-city multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model with an air quality dispersion model consisting of a weather research and forecasting (WRF) model and the CALPUFF model (WRF/CALPUFF) to study the inter-city economic consumption, pollutant emission and concentration among 13 cities in BTH urban agglomeration. NO_x is chosen as an example. The combined effects of economic linkage and atmospheric transport show that NO_x concentrations in cities in the BTH urban agglomeration are attributable to three consumption sources: a local contribution from the target city's own local economic consumption (average, 25%), and non-local consumption contributions, including other cities in the BTH urban agglomeration (average, 36%) and regions outside of BTH (average, 39%). Compared with the contributions to NO_x concentrations calculated using only the MRIO model or atmospheric transport stimulation model, the results of this paper quantify that the consumption outside of a city could provide a greater impact on the city's air quality due to the combined effects of economic linkage and atmospheric transport. To avoid negative impacts of emission reduction targets on economic consumption, governmental regional pollution control policies should consider the combined effects of economic linkage and atmospheric transport.

Keywords: Atmospheric transport; Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei; Concentration; Emissions; MRIO; WRF/CALPUFF.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollution / analysis*
Beijing
China
Cities
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Pollutants*
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Environmental Pollutants
Particulate Matter