A new study highlights an overlooked contributor to greenhouse gas emissions: inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, reports CBS News. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the research estimates that US inhaler use produced about 24.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the 10-year span from 2014 to 2024. That figure roughly matches the annual output of 530,000 gasoline-powered cars.
Metered-dose inhalers, the familiar devices shaped like a boot, accounted for the lion's share—98%—of those emissions over the decade of research. The culprit isn't the medication itself, however, but the hydrofluoroalkane propellants used to deliver it. These chemicals, also common in aerosol sprays, are potent greenhouse gases.
The findings raise a particular concern, as 28 million Americans have asthma and 34 million are living with chronic lung disease, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. With climate change expected to worsen air quality, these numbers are likely to climb, making the emissions from inhalers an issue with growing relevance.
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Researchers note that alternative devices, like dry and soft powder mist inhalers, provide the same medications without relying on propellants, making them a lower-emission option. Dr. William Feldman, the study's lead author, suggests that shifting to these alternatives could benefit both patients and the environment. "There is tremendous opportunity to make changes that protect both patients and the planet," Feldman says in a release.
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