Climate pollution from inhalers has the impact of half a million cars per year, study finds. by Arup Sarkar Research article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2822997 News article: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/health/inhalers-climate-change-wellness Background HFAs, which are commonly used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants, were introduced as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Although they do not damage the ozone layer, they are strong greenhouse gases with high global warming potentials (GWPs); for instance, HFA-134a traps a lot more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide 1 , with a GWP of about 1,430. Even though they are released in lesser amounts, HFAs may be measured for their contribution to radiative forcing and global warming and remain in the atmosphere for years 4 . The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (2016) mandates a global phase-down of ...