Modeling Ground Ozone Concentration Changes after Variations in Precursor Emissions and Assessing Their Benefits in the Kanto Region of Japan.

Ozone (O₃) is a pollutant of concern in urban areas because of its effects on health, crops, ecosystems, and materials. Despite efforts to meet the Japanese air quality standard for O₃ in the Kanto region, the attainment percentage is close to zero. Considering that O₃ formation is sensitive to emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), this study evaluated a range of reductions in the emissions of both precursors using a regional air quality model (ADMER-PRO) and estimated their benefits measured as the economic change due to O₃ concentration differences between scenarios. The simulation period was set during the 2016 O₃ season. The results showed that O₃ concentrations could be reduced using two approaches: significant reduction in VOC levels combined with minor NO_x level changes or significant NO_x emission reduction. Significant reduction in NO_x levels was the most effective strategy for a generalized decrease in the O₃ levels in the Kanto region, and the benefit analysis revealed that the most significant economic impacts could be achieved by adopting the latter approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]