Characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China: Comparison of three air quality indices
Characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China: Comparison of three air quality indices
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DOI：
10.1016/j.envint.2015.06.014
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发表时间：
2015-11-01
影响因子：
11.8
通讯作者：
Zhang, Hongliang
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hu, Jianlin;Ying, Qi;Zhang, Hongliang
多污染物空气污染(即几种污染物同时达到很高的浓度)在中国的多个地区频繁发生。空气质量指数(AQI)在全球范围内被用来告知公众空气污染水平和相关的健康风险。中国目前使用的AQI方法是基于单个污染物的最大值，没有考虑接触多种污染物对健康的综合影响。本研究基于中国(北京、上海、广州、石家庄、西安和武汉)6个特大城市2013年至2014年的数据，计算了两个新的替代指数--综合空气质量指数和基于健康风险的空气质量指数。AAQI和HAQI都考虑了各种污染物对健康的综合影响，HAQI考虑了污染物的暴露(或浓度)-反应关系。将空气质量指数和空气质量指数与空气质量指数进行比较，以检验现行空气质量指数在表征中国多污染物空气污染方面的有效性。当两种或两种以上污染物同时超过中国环境空气质量标准(CAAQS)24小时二级标准时，AAQI和HAQI值高于AQI。基于这三个指数的风险类别分类的比较结果表明，目前的AQI方法低估了与暴露于多种污染物的空气污染有关的健康风险的严重性。基于空气质量指数的风险类别“不健康”，如果以空气质量指数和哈奇指数为基础，96%和80%的天数将是“非常不健康”或“危险”；对于基于空气质量指数的风险类别“非常不健康”，如果以空气质量指数和哈奇指数为基础，分别有67%和75%的天数将是“危险”。研究结果显示，市民大众，特别是儿童和老人等敏感人群，在空气污染严重时，应采取比现时建议的空气质素指标更严厉的措施。进行了敏感性研究，以检验AAQI和HAQI方法中使用的假设。结果表明，AAQI对污染物无关常数的选择较为敏感。哈奇对包括在总风险计算中的阈值和污染物的选择都很敏感。(C)2015爱思唯尔有限公司。保留所有权利。
Multi-pollutant air pollution (i.e., several pollutants reaching very high concentrations simultaneously) frequently occurs in many regions across China. Air quality index (AQI) is used worldwide to inform the public about levels of air pollution and associated health risks. The current AQI approach used in China is based on the maximum value of individual pollutants, and does not consider the combined health effects of exposure to multiple pollutants. In this study, two novel alternative indices - aggregate air quality index (AAQI) and health-risk based air quality index (HAQI) - were calculated based on data collected in six megacities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shjiazhuang, Xi'an, and Wuhan) during 2013 to 2014. Both AAQI and HAQI take into account the combined health effects of various pollutants, and the HAQI considers the exposure (or concentration)-response relationships of pollutants. AAQI and HAQI were compared to AQI to examine the effectiveness of the current AQI in characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China. The AAQI and HAQI values are higher than the AQI on days when two or more pollutants simultaneously exceed the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) 24-hour Grade II standards. The results of the comparison of the classification of risk categories based on the three indices indicate that the current AQI approach underestimates the severity of health risk associated with exposure to multi-pollutant air pollution. For the AQI-based risk category of 'unhealthy', 96% and 80% of the days would be 'very unhealthy' or 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively; and for the AQI-based risk category of 'very unhealthy', 67% and 75% of the days would be 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively. The results suggest that the general public, especially sensitive population groups such as children and the elderly, should take more stringent actions than those currently suggested based on the AQI approach during high air pollution events. Sensitivity studies were conducted to examine the assumptions used in the AAQI and HAQI approaches. Results show that AAQI is sensitive to the choice of pollutant irrelevant constant. HAQI is sensitive to the choice of both threshold values and pollutants included in total risk calculation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.