What causes haze pollution? An empirical study of PM2.5 concentrations in Chinese cities

Abstract

In recent years, many areas of China have suffered from serious haze pollution, which greatly affects human health and daily life. It is of policy importance to understand the factors that influence the spatial concentration of PM2.5. Based on data from 74 cities with PM2.5 monitoring stations in 2013 and 2014, this study presents the overall haze situation in China and explores the determinants of PM2.5 using a random-effects model, as well as a set of OLS regressions. The results indicate that PM2.5 is significantly correlated with the industrial proportion, the number of motor vehicles, and household gas consumption, while public financial expenditure on energy saving and environmental protection does not show statistically significant effects. The analysis implies that China should adjust its economic structure and optimizes environmental governance to effectively respond to haze pollution.