Abstract. We have developed an integrated assessment tool that can be used for
evaluating the public
health costs caused by the concentrations of fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) in ambient
air. The model can be used to assess the impacts of various
alternative air quality abatement
measures, policies and strategies. The model has been applied to
evaluate the costs of
the domestic emissions that influence the concentrations of
PM2.5 in Finland in 2015. The
model includes the impacts on human health; however, it does not address
the impacts on climate
change or the state of the environment. First, the national Finnish
emissions were evaluated using
the Finnish Regional Emission Scenarios (FRESs) model on a resolution of
250×250 m2 for the
whole of Finland. Second, the atmospheric dispersion was analysed by
using the chemical transport
model, namely the System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) model, and the source receptor matrices contained in the FRES model.
Third, the health
impacts were assessed by combining the spatially resolved concentration
and population data sets
and by analysing the impacts for various health outcomes. Fourth, the
economic impacts of the
health outcomes were evaluated. The model can be used to evaluate the
costs of the health damages
for various emission source categories and for a unit of emissions of
PM2.5. It was found that
the economic benefits, in terms of avoided public health costs, were largest
for measures that will
reduce the emissions of (i) road transport, (ii) non-road vehicles and
machinery, and (iii)
residential wood combustion. The reduction in the precursor emissions of
PM2.5 resulted in
clearly lower benefits when compared with directly reducing the emissions of
PM2.5. We have also
designed a user-friendly, web-based assessment tool that is open access.
Review of Kukkonen et a lModelling of the public health costs of fine particulate matter and results for Finland in 2015
