title: Analysis of PM2.5 using the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP).
abstract: As epidemiological work from around the world continues to tie PM2.5 to serious adverse health effects, including premature mortality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has developed a number of policies to reduce air pollution, including PM2.5. To assist in the benefit-cost analyses of these air pollution control policies, the U.S. EPA has developed the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). BenMAP is meant to (1) provide a flexible tool for systematically analyzing impacts of changes in environmental quality in a timely fashion, (2) ensure that stakeholders can understand the assumptions underlying the analysis, and (3) adequately address uncertainty and variability. BenMAP uses a "damage-function" approach to estimate the health benefits of a change in air quality. The major components of the damage-function approach are population estimates, population exposure, adverse health effects, and economic costs. To demonstrate BenMAP's ability to analyze PM2.5 pollution control policy scenarios, we assess two sample applications: (1) benefits of a national-level air quality control program, and (2) benefits of attaining two annual PM2.5 standards in California (annual average standards of 15 microg/m3 and 12 microg/m3). In the former, we estimate a scenario where control of PM2.5 emissions results in $100 billion of benefits annually. In the analysis of alternative standards, we estimate that attaining the more stringent standard (12 microg/m3) would result in approximately 2000 fewer premature deaths each year than the 15 microg/m3 achieves. BenMAP has a number of features to help clarify the analysis process. It allows the user to record in a configuration all of the choices made during an analysis. Configurations are especially useful for recreating already existing policy analyses. Also, BenMAP has a number of reporting options, including a set of mapping tools that allows users to visually inspect their inputs and results.
authors: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Washington, DC 20460, USA. davidson.ken@epa.gov
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Davidson
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Hallberg
authors: Donald
authors: D
authors: McCubbin
authors: Bryan
authors: B
authors: Hubbell
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011640:Public Policy; D012984:Software; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter