Climate change can contribute to increased production of plant-based allergens, and higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitizations and asthma episodes. Meanwhile, extreme rainfall and rising temperatures can foster indoor air quality problems, including the growth of indoor fungi and molds.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program—Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) is an open-source computer program for Microsoft Windows® operating systems that helps users estimate the health impacts and economic value of changes in air quality. The software incorporates a database that includes many of the concentration-response relationships, population files, and health and economic data needed to quantify these impacts.

BenMAP-CE enables users to load their own data or use pre-loaded datasets for the United States and China—these datasets include air quality data, demographic data, economic values, and concentration-response relationships. Analysts have used the BenMAP to answer a variety of policy questions, including climate assessments, and links to some of those articles are available on the site. The site also provides a variety of training resources, including self-paced exercises, online interactive modules, and instructor-led training.