Modeling future asthma attributable to fine particulate matter (PM) in a changing climate: a health impact assessment.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) is associated with asthma development as well as asthma exacerbation in children. PM can be directly emitted or can form in the atmosphere from pollutant precursors. PM emitted and formed in the atmosphere is influenced by meteorology; future changes in climate may alter the concentration and distribution of PM.

Associations Between Simulated Future Changes in Climate, Air Quality, and Human Health.

Importance: Future changes in climate are likely to adversely affect human health by affecting concentrations of particulate matter sized less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) in many areas.

Forecast-based interventions can reduce the health and economic burden of wildfires.

We simulated public health forecast-based interventions during a wildfire smoke episode in rural North Carolina to show the potential for use of modeled smoke forecasts toward reducing the health burden and showed a significant economic benefit of reducing exposures. Daily and county wide intervention advisories were designed to occur when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from smoke, forecasted 24 or 48 h in advance, was expected to exceed a predetermined threshold.