Study estimates emissions in US from inhalers same as those from five lakh cars each year
New Delhi, A new study has revealed that inhalers used to treat asthma and COPD may have emitted over 20 lakh metric tonnes of emissions in the US equivalent to the yearly emissions of about 5,30,000 petrol-powered cars on the road.
Study estimates emissions in US from inhalers same as those from five lakh cars each year
The research team, including scientists from the University of California Los Angeles, found that metered-dose inhalers those containing hydrofluoroalkane propellants and releasing aerosols were the most harmful to the environment, responsible for a staggering 98 percent of emissions over the 10-year period.
Other types of inhalers, including dry inhalers and soft powder mist inhalers, are less harmful to the environment as they deliver medication to the lungs without requiring propellants, they informed.
“Inhalers approved for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease generated an estimated 24.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the US from 2014 to 2024, 98 per cent of which were from metered-dose inhalers,” the authors wrote in the study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association .
“The estimated social costs of emissions were USD 5.7 billion,” they said.
Lead author Dr William Feldman, a pulmonologist and health services researcher at UCLA’s school of medicine, said, “Inhalers add to the growing carbon footprint of the US healthcare system, putting many patients with chronic respiratory disease at risk.”
The authors urged for a shift toward prescribing lower-emission inhalers, which may help mitigate the environmental damage of managing chronic respiratory diseases.
“On the upside, there is tremendous opportunity to make changes that protect both patients and the planet by utilising lower-emission alternatives,” Dr Feldman said.
Researchers analysed data from a US database that tracks inhaler prescriptions at the National Drug Code level. Emissions were then estimated using validated academic studies and examined based on drug type, device type, propellant type, therapeutic class, brand status, manufacturer, payer, and pharmacy benefit manager.
“A key first step to driving change is understanding the true scale of the problem. From there, we can identify what’s fuelling these emissions and develop targeted strategies to reduce them benefiting both patients and the environment,” Dr Feldman said.
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