Research on health and the economic losses caused by PM2.5 pollution nationwide is critical for pollution control planning. First, the spatiotemporal distribution of PM2.5 and exposure levels were simulated and analyzed using the air quality model (WRF-Chem) in China in 2016. Then, the health burden and economic loss caused by PM2.5 pollution were estimated using environmental health risk and environmental value assessment methods. Finally, the health and economic benefits from achieving specific PM2.5 control targets were estimated. In 2016 in China, high levels of PM2.5 were concentrated in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, the Sichuan Basin, and the desert areas in northwest China. Furthermore, 71.49% of the total population of China was exposed to an environment with PM2.5 concentrations higher than 35 μg·m-3. Subsequently, the national PM2.5-related mortality was 1.06 million, accounting for 10.9% of the total deaths in China. Stroke and ischemic heart disease accounted for approximately 80% of the total PM2.5-related deaths caused by the five diseases studied. Meanwhile, the PM2.5 pollution resulted in economic losses of 705.93 billion yuan, which was 0.95% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016. There were significant spatial differences in the health burden and economic loss, which primarily occurred in regions with high PM2.5 levels or population density. Moreover, reducing PM2.5 to 35 μg·m-3 would only result in a 17.11% reduction in the health burden and economic loss, while a more exacting standard (reducing PM2.5 to 10 μg·m-3) would bring 80.47% of the health and economic benefits. It is suggested that environmental managers further strengthen their control to better protect the health and wealth benefits of residents, especially for sensitive groups, such as patients with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, particularly in areas with high premature mortality.
Keywords: PM2.5 pollution; WRF-Chem model; economic loss; potential benefits; premature mortality.