Driving Up Air Pollution

Karen Rios Soto explains how mathematics illuminates the link
between air pollution from motor vehicle emissions and asthma. Air
pollution causes the premature deaths of an estimated seven million
people each year, and it makes life worse for all of us. People
with asthma can experience chest tightness, coughing or wheezing,
and difficulty breathing when triggered by air pollution. One major
source is gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks, which emit
"ultrafine" particles less than 0.1 micrometers across. That's
about the width of the virus that causes COVID-19, so tiny that
these particles are not currently regulated by the US Environmental
Protection Agency. Yet ultrafine particles can easily enter your
lungs and be absorbed into your bloodstream, causing health issues
such as an asthma attack or even neurodegenerative diseases.
Mathematics can help us understand the extent of the problem and
how to solve it.