Health Hazard Assessment of Air Pollutants from Coal-Fired Power Plants and Proposed Reduction Policies

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 64060:Environmental policy and social systems-related
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: Nagashima Fumiya 近畿大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (50845956)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 石炭火力発電 / 大気汚染 / 健康影響評価 / アジア / データ包絡分析法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study integrates health impact assessment models using data envelopment analysis, chemical transport models, and integrated exposure-response models to develop a framework for estimating air pollutant emissions and health hazards that can be improved by introducing emission control technologies for coal-fired power plants that generate electricity inefficiently and replacing them with new power plants that have higher levels of control technologies. A framework was developed. The results of the analysis showed that 40% of premature deaths due to air pollution exposure could be avoided if power plants improved their environmental efficiency. It was also found that health hazards in neighboring countries from air pollutant emissions from the power plants under study could also be avoided with power plant efficiency improvements.

Free Research Field

環境経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により明らかになった中国の石炭火力発電所の環境効率性を基に、大気汚染物質による健康被害の削減を推し進めるにあたって、どの発電所に削減技術を優先的に導入すべきか、もしくはどの発電所を早期稼働停止すべきか等の環境政策を提案することができた。
また、本研究の学術的な意義としては、データ包絡分析法・領域化学輸送モデル・統合曝露反応モデル等を用いた健康影響評価モデルを統合することで、非効率な発電を行う石炭火力発電所の環境効率性の向上により改善される大気汚染物質排出量と健康被害を推計するフレームワークを開発したことにある。