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Health Impacts of Emissions from Large Point Sources. Christer Ågren The Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain www.acidrain.org. The study. Work done by Mike Holland , EMRC, UK.
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Health Impacts of Emissions from Large Point Sources Christer Ågren The Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain www.acidrain.org
The study • Work done by Mike Holland, EMRC, UK. • Funded by the Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain, and cofinanced by the European Commission DG Research through the Methodex Project.
Methodology • Combines CAFE health assessment methodology with SENCO’s database on emissions from Large Point Sources (LPS), to assess health-related damages linked with emissions of SO2 and NOx on a plant-by-plant basis. • Health impacts from secondary PM (sulphate and nitrate aerosols), quantified – primary particles not included.
Results for EU25 Secondary PM from LPS linked to i.a.: • 790,000 life years lost (equivalent to 74,000 premature deaths); • 8,100 cardiac hospital admissions; and, • 73 million restricted activity days among the working age population. In economic terms, the total health damage from SO2 and NOx emissions from LPS is in the order of € 57-170 billion per year.
The worst plants • Some of the worst polluting plants may each be responsible for the annual loss of between 10,000 and 20,000 life years. • In EU25, about 50% of the damage is caused by the 120 most damaging plants, and 90% by 911 plants. (The total number of EU25 plants in the database is ~6,300.) • Outside EU25, about 50% of the damage is caused by the 20 most damaging plants, and 90% by 128 plants. (The total number of non-EU plants in the database is ~530.)
Map with the large point sources in Europe that cause the greatest health damage due to secondary PM from SO2 and NOx emissions
Some conclusions • Total health impacts from SO2 and NOx emissions from LPS in EU25 is in the order of € 57-170 billion per year. The number of life years lost is estimated at 790,000, i.e. about 21% of the total health damage from air pollution estimated by CAFE. • A relatively small number of highly polluting plants are responsible for very significant damage – some plants may each cause annual health damage equivalent to € 800 – 1400 million. • There is wide variation in the damage per per unit of useful output of energy – for many plants the estimated damage in eurocents/kWh is greater than typical prices charged.
Uncertainties • Emission data are typically from around 2000/2001 – figures may now have changed. • Emission data for plants outside EU25 less certain. • Country-average damage factors (not site-specific modelling). • Atmospheric transfer data (EMEP model). • Exposure – response functions for fine particles. • Are all types of fine particles equally damaging? • Economic valuation of impacts.
References • Holland, M. (2006) Health Impacts of Emissions From Large Point Sources. Second edition. Report 19, Air Pollution and Climate Series of the Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain, Göteborg, Sweden.http://www.acidrain.org/pages/publications/reports.asp • Barrett, M. (2004) Atmospheric Emissions from Large Point Sources in Europe. Report 17, Air Pollution and Climate Series of the Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid Rain, Göteborg, Sweden. http://www.acidrain.org/pages/publications/reports.asp • AEA Technology and others (2004) Benefit analysis for CAFE: Volume 1: Overview of Methodology. http://cafe-cba.aeat.com/files/CAFE%20CBA%20Methodology%20Final%20Volume%201%20v4e.pdf • AEA Technology and others (2004-2005) A series of reports on the cost-benefit analysis of the CAFE programme is available via http://www.cafe-cba.org/ • Holland, M. (2006) Updated estimates of pollution damage per tonne emission for the BeTa database. Internal report under the European Commission Methodex Project.
