Identification and Time Series Analysis of PM2.5 and O3 Associated Health Risk Prevention and Control Areas

Air pollution of PM_2.5 and O₃ is a global health concern. Traditional approaches for identifying air pollution control areas mainly relied on pollutant concentrations, neglecting population distribution and exposure. This study proposes a method to divide these areas from a health risk perspective, comparing their objectivity and rationality with the government-defined key regions. The results show that for PM_2.5, the health risk population and average risk rates in the prevention and control areas were 0.993 million (0.1286%), 1.030 million (0.1283%), and 1.023 million (0.1202%) in 2010, 2015, and 2020, significantly higher than in the key areas: 0.778 million (0.1252%), 0.834 million (0.1278%), and 0.825 million (0.1212%). Similarly, for O₃, the figures in the prevention and control areas were 0.096 million (0.01228%), 0.095 million (0.01243%), and 0.110 million (0.01316%), also higher than in the key areas: 0.0757 million (0.01218%), 0.078 million (0.01189%), and 0.090 million (0.01315%). Additionally, the Gini coefficients for PM_2.5, O₃, and overall health risks in the prevention and control areas were lower (0.182, 0.203, 0.284) compared to those in the key areas (0.207, 0.216, 0.292). This study provides a method for defining air pollution control regions based on health risks, offering significant insights for pollution zoning and prevention strategies.