New Online Tool Helps Calculate Benefit Of Reducing Air Pollution

 
Abt Associates launched a new online tool this week that allows large and medium-sized cities the opportunity to calculate the health benefits and monetary value of implementing air quality improvements.

AirCounts is an interactive website that enables anyone to discover how many premature deaths could be avoided as well as the additional economic benefits from reducing emissions.

“As cities across the globe begin establishing climate change policies and programs that include improving air quality, they will need to answer questions about which health benefits and corresponding economic value can be realized from those programs,” said Mike Conti, vice president of the Environment & Resources Division of Abt Associates, adding “AirCounts can deliver those answers.”

Abt Associates conducted a case study of Mexico City using the new tool, which can be seen in full here.

The results found that eliminating 2.8 tonnes of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) would result in the prevention of one premature death at a cost of $1.8 million USD.
 

 
Conti said AirCounts framework can be used to calculate such public health benefits as decreased cardiovascular and respiratory problems, also associated with PM_2.5 emissions. In addition, Abt can develop customized analyses for virtually any geographic area and can incorporate time as an analytical dimension.

Source: Abt Associates