Economic air pollution control model for Los Angeles County in 1975 - Part I: General Least Cost-Air Quality Model

Abstract

An economic air pollution control model is formulated for determining the least cost of reaching various air quality levels. The model takes the form of a general, nonlinear, mathematical programming problem. The two basic inputs to this model are the least cost of attaining various emission levels and the relationship between emission levels and air quality. A linear programming submodel is presented for deriving the first input, the control cost-emission level relationship. Empirical-statistical air quality submodels are outlined for obtaining the second input, the emission level-air quality relationship. The combination of these two inputs to solve the nonlinear programming problem is illustrated graphically. Part II of this paper (page 816) applies the model to photochemical smog in Los Angeles in 1975.