Analysis of data collected during 2012-2017 from more than 2,800 individuals with asthma who were older than 3 years in the United States suggests that an increase of 1 μg/m3 in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure is associated with a 0.82% increase in average daily rescue inhaler use, with seasonal, regional, and income variability; the authors estimate that a reduction of 1 μg/m3 in PM2.5 pollution could generate nearly $350 million annually in economic benefits.
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Article #18-05647: "Short-term impact of PM2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions," by Austin Williams, Daniel J. Phaneuf, Meredith Barrett, and Jason Su.
MEDIA CONTACT: Daniel J. Phaneuf, University of Wisconson-Madison, WI; tel: 608-262-4908; e-mail: dphaneuf@wisc.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences