The study deals with the assessment of health impact and the respective economic cost attributed to particulate
matter (PM) emitted into the atmosphere from biomass burning for space heating, focusing on the differences
between the warm and cold seasons in 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 in Thessaloniki (Greece). Health impact
was assessed based on estimated exposure levels and the use of establishedWHO concentration–response functions
(CRFs) for all-cause mortality, infant mortality, new chronic bronchitis cases, respiratory and cardiac hospital
admissions. Monetary costwas based on the valuation of the willingness-to-pay/accept (WTP/WTA), to avoid
or compensate for the loss of welfare associated with illness.
Results showed that long termmortality during the 2012–2013winter increased by 200 excess deaths in a city of
almost 900,000 inhabitants or 3540 years of life lost, corresponding to an economic cost of almost 200–250m€.
New chronic bronchitis cases dominate morbidity estimates (490 additional new cases corresponding to a monetary
cost of 30m€). Estimated health and monetary impacts are more severe during the cold season, despite its
smaller duration (4 months). Considering that the increased ambient air concentrations (and the integral of outdoor/
indoor exposure) are explained by shifting from oil to biomass for domestic heating purposes, several alternative
scenarios were evaluated. Policy scenario analysis revealed that significant public health and monetary
benefits (up to 2b€ in avoidedmortality and 130m€ in avoided illness) might be obtained by limiting the biomass
share in the domestic heat energy mix. Fiscal policy affecting fuels/technologies used for domestic heating needs
to be reconsidered urgently, since the net tax loss fromavoided oil taxation due to reduced consumptionwas further
compounded by the public health cost of increased mid-term morbidity and mortality.
The study deals with the assessment of health impact and the respective economic cost attributed to particulate
matter (PM) emitted into the atmosphere from biomass burning for space heating, focusing on the differences
between the warm and cold seasons in 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 in Thessaloniki (Greece). Health impact
was assessed based on estimated exposure levels and the use of establishedWHO concentration–response functions
(CRFs) for all-cause mortality, infant mortality, new chronic bronchitis cases, respiratory and cardiac hospital
admissions. Monetary costwas based on the valuation of the willingness-to-pay/accept (WTP/WTA), to avoid
or compensate for the loss of welfare associated with illness.
Results showed that long termmortality during the 2012–2013winter increased by 200 excess deaths in a city of
almost 900,000 inhabitants or 3540 years of life lost, corresponding to an economic cost of almost 200–250m€.
New chronic bronchitis cases dominate morbidity estimates (490 additional new cases corresponding to a monetary
cost of 30m€). Estimated health and monetary impacts are more severe during the cold season, despite its
smaller duration (4 months). Considering that the increased ambient air concentrations (and the integral of outdoor/
indoor exposure) are explained by shifting from oil to biomass for domestic heating purposes, several alternative
scenarios were evaluated. Policy scenario analysis revealed that significant public health and monetary
benefits (up to 2b€ in avoidedmortality and 130m€ in avoided illness) might be obtained by limiting the biomass
share in the domestic heat energy mix. Fiscal policy affecting fuels/technologies used for domestic heating needs
to be reconsidered urgently, since the net tax loss fromavoided oil taxation due to reduced consumptionwas further
compounded by the public health cost of increased mid-term morbidity and mortality.
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