Economic impact assessments of air pollution-related health effects from a sectoral
perspective in China is still deficient. This study evaluates the PM2.5 pollution-related
health impacts of the road transport sector on China's economy at both national and
provincial levels in 2030 under various air mitigation technologies scenarios. Health
impacts are estimated using an integrated approach that combines the Greenhouse Gas
and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, a computable general equilibrium
(CGE) model and a health model. Results show that at a national level, the road transport
sector leads to 163.64 thousand deaths per year, increases the per capita risk of
morbidity by 0.37% and accounts for 1.43 billion Yuan in health care expenditures.
We estimate 442.90 billion Yuan of the value of statistical life loss and 2.09 h/capita
of work time loss in 2015. Without additional control measures, air pollution related
to the transport sector will cause 177.50 thousand deaths in 2030, a 0.40% per capita
increase in the risk of morbidity, accounting for 4.12 billion Yuan in health care
expenditures, 737.15 billion Yuan of statistical life loss and 2.23 h/capita of work
time loss. Based on our model, implementing the most strict control strategy scenario
would decrease mortality by 42.14%, morbidity risk by 42.14%, health care expenditures
by 41.94%, statistical life loss by 26.22% and hours of work time loss by 42.65%,
comparing with the no control measure scenario. In addition, PM2.5 pollution from
the road transport sector will cause 0.68% GDP loss in 2030. At a provincial level,
GDP losses in 14 out of 30 provinces far exceed the national rate. Henan (1.20%),
Sichuan (1.07%), Chongqing (0.99%), Hubei (0.94%), and Shandong (0.90%) would experience
the highest GDP loss in 2030. Implementing control strategies to reduce PM2.5 pollution
in the road transport sector could bring positive benefits in half of the Chinese
provinces especially in provinces that suffer greater health impacts from the road
transport sector (such as Henan and Sichuan).