Background: Evaluation of the adverse health effects of PM
2†
10
pollution (particulate matter less than 10 microns in
diameter) is very important for protecting human health and establishing pollution control policy. Population
exposure estimation is the first step in formulating exposure data for quantitative assessment of harmful PM
pollution.
Methods: In this paper, we estimate PM
concentration using a spatial interpolation method on a grid with a
spatial resolution 0.01° × 0.01°. PM
10
10
concentration data from monitoring stations are spatially interpolated, based
on accurate population data in 2000 using a geographic information system. Then, an interpolated population layer
is overlaid with an interpolated PM
concentration layer, and population exposure levels are calculated. Combined
with the exposure-response function between PM
10
and health endpoints, economic costs of the adverse health
effects of PM
10
10
pollution are analyzed.
Results: The results indicate that the population in Lanzhou urban areas is distributed in a narrow and long belt,
and there are relatively large population spatial gradients in the XiGu, ChengGuan and QiLiHe districts. We select
threshold concentration C
0
at: 0 μgm
-3
(no harmful health effects), 20 μgm
-3
(recommended by the World Health
Organization), and 50 μgm
-3
(national first class standard in China) to calculate excess morbidity cases. For these
three scenarios, proportions of the economic cost of PM
pollution-related adverse health effects relative to GDP
are 0.206%, 0.194% and 0.175%, respectively. The impact of meteorological factors on PM
10
concentrations in 2000
is also analyzed. Sandstorm weather in spring, inversion layers in winter, and precipitation in summer are important
factors associated with change in PM
concentration.
Conclusions: The population distribution by exposure level shows that the majority of people live in polluted
10
areas. With the improvement of evaluation criteria, economic damage of respiratory disease caused by PM
10
is
much bigger. The health effects of Lanzhou urban residents should not be ignored. The government needs to find
a better way to balance the health of residents and economy development. And balance the pros and cons before
making a final policy.