Study on Spatial Characteristics, Health Assessment, and Influencing Factors of Tropospheric Ozone Pollution in Qin–Jin Region, 2013–2022

Ozone is a pollutant that is harmful to human health and the troposphere. As a coal base in China, the study of ozone in the Qin–Jin region provides a scientific basis for pollution control and early warning and is of great practical significance. This paper analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of tropospheric ozone in the Qin–Jin region from 2013 to 2022. It predicts the tropospheric ozone seasons in 2023 using a combination of ozone monitoring instruments (OMIs), ground stations, and machine learning. It also estimates the loss of health and economic benefits caused by ozone to humans, discusses the multiple factors affecting ozone changes, and identifies ozone-sensitive pollution control areas. The results showed that ozone in the Qin–Jin region spatially tends to increase from northwest to southeast, the Slope showed that ozone in the study area has a slightly increasing trend (0~0.079), the ozone concentration values are much larger than those in other months during the period of April–September, and there is no weekend effect. The predicted mean ozone values for 2023 are 36.57 DU in spring, 50.88 DU in summer, 34.29 DU in fall, and 30.10 DU in winter. The average values of all-cause mortality and economic losses are estimated to be 4591 and 4214 persons and 43.30 and 51.30 billion yuan in 2019 and 2021 in Shanxi Province, and 2498 and 1535 persons and 23.50 and 18.70 billion yuan in 2019 and 2021 in Shaanxi Province, respectively. Natural factors are positively correlated with ozone in the following order, temperature (TEM) > precipitable water (TPW) > vegetation cover (NDVI) > relative humidity (RH), uplift index (LI) is negatively correlated with ozone, and barometric pressure (PS) is mainly uncorrelated. During the period of high ozone pollution in the Qin–Jin region (April–September), emissions of VOCs accelerated ozone production, and emissions of NOx suppressed ozone production in most areas. The high-value pollution period in the Qin–Jin area is mainly a VOC control area, and the synergistic control of NOx and VOCs is secondary.