Modeling study of air pollution due to the manufacture of export goods in China's Pearl River Delta

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 2006 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es051275n· OSTI ID:20752113

Streets, David G; Yu, Carolyne; Bergin, Michael H; Wang, Xuemei; Carmichael, Gregory R ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States). Decision and Information Sciences Division

The Pearl River Delta is a major manufacturing region on the south coast of China that produces more than $$100 billion of goods annually for export to North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Considerable air pollution is caused by the manufacturing industries themselves and by the power plants, trucks, and ships that support them. It is estimated that 10-40% of emissions of primary SO{sub 2}, NOx, RSP, and VOC in the region are caused by export-related activities. Using the STEM-2K1 atmospheric transport model, it is estimated that these emissions contribute 5-30% of the ambient concentrations of SO{sub 2}, NOx, NOz, and VOC in the region. (NO{sub Z}=PAN, HONO, HNO{sub 3}, N{sub 2}O{sub 5} and organic nitrates). One reason that the exported goods are cheap and therefore attractive to consumers in developed countries is that emission controls are lacking or of low performance. It is estimated that state-of-the-art controls could be installed at an annualized cost of $$0.3-3 billion, representing 0.3-3% of the value of the goods produced. Mitigation measures could be adopted without seriously affecting the prices of exported goods and would achieve considerable human health and other benefits in the form of reduced air pollutant concentrations in densely populated urban areas. 22 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 20752113
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 40; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHINA
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EXPORTS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MANUFACTURING
MITIGATION
NITRATES
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION SOURCES
POWER GENERATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
RIVER DELTAS
SHIPS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
TRUCKS
URBAN AREAS
VOLATILE MATTER