Transboundary PM air pollution and its impact on health in East Asia

Abstract

Even though PM air pollution has been identified as a serious health hazard in China, Korea, and in parts of Japan, the allocation of responsibility for emissions has become a hindrance to negotiation and cooperation. As a result, no international regime for PM mitigation so far has yet been established. In this study, we investigate the current state, characteristics and health hazards related to transboundary PM air pollution in China, Japan and Korea, the three main actors in East Asia with respect to transboundary PM air pollution. We then explore the potential for policy coordination and the prospect for adopting policies aimed at reducing air pollution, based on an analysis using the E3ME model.