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

Abstract

Future changes in the climate will affect the level and distribution of common air pollutants, including ground-level ozone (O₃) and fine particles sized 2.5 μm and smaller (PM_2.5) in the United States.^1-5 The climate can affect pollutant concentrations through 2 broad pathways. In the first, changes in the climate can alter meteorological variables, including temperature, cloud cover, humidity, precipitation, and wind patterns—each of which influence the production of O₃ and PM_2.5.^6-8 These climate-related changes in meteorological conditions also influence emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as naturally occurring events, including wildland fires and windblown dust, which each emit PM_2.5.⁹