Allocation of control targets for PM2.5 concentration: An empirical study from cities of atmospheric pollution transmission channel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei district

Abstract Air pollution in the form of PM2.5 can destory the residents’ health and cause heavy economic losses. How to determine the control target of PM2.5 concentration for each city according to their local conditions becomes the key to prevent and control PM2.5 pollution. Based on a series of index data selected from the aspect of land, industry, energy, population, technology and economic factors in 2016, this study determines allocation schemes of control targets for PM2.5 concentration in 28 cities of atmospheric pollution transmission channel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei district under the IT-1 (35μg/m³), IT-2 (25μg/m³), IT-3 (15μg/m³) and AQG (10μg/m³) scenarios using various methods. The results show that: (1) The combination of the Super-slacks based measure (Super-SBM) model with undesirable outputs, Gini coefficient method, contribution coefficient method and Gini coefficient minimization model can inified evaluation indexes and increase the ability to systematize and compare the allocation schemes formulated based on different regulation principles. (2) The economic development performance level under the constraint condition of PM2.5 pollution and the fairness of PM2.5 emissions corresponding to different factors exhibit signifcant differences among all the cities. Although the allocation scheme determined based on the equity principle can improve the fairness of PM2.5 emissions compared with the base year, the unfairness characteristic of PM2.5 emissions do not fundamentally change. (3) Regional allocation schemes of control target for PM2.5 concentration under the IT-1 scenario based on the efficiency principle or equity principle are feasible while the scheme determined based on the principle of efficiency and equity is not. The allocation schemes determined under the IT-2, IT-3 and AQG scenarios based on the equity principle are feasible while the schemes determined based on other principles are not. More attention should be paid at allocating the control target of PM2.5 concentration based on the equity principle, rather than fousing other principles in the future.