The Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program – Community Edition (BenMAP–CE): A tool to estimate the health and economic benefits of reducing air pollution. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sacks, Jason D.; Lloyd, Jennifer M.; Zhu, Yun; Anderton, Jim; Jang, Carey J.; Hubbell, Bryan; Fann, Neal
• Is Part Of: Environmental modelling & software. Volume 104(2018)
• Page Start: 118
• Page End: 129
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Health impact assessment -- Air pollution -- Benefits analysis -- Particulate matter -- Air quality -- Policy analysis; BenMAP–CE Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program – Community Edition -- CAPMS Criteria Air Pollutant Modeling System -- CIESIN Center for International Earth Science Information Network -- COI cost-of-illness -- DLLs dynamic-link libraries -- GBD Global Burden of Disease -- GIS geographic information system -- GUI graphical user interface -- IHME Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation -- MSDE Microsoft SQL Server Data Engine -- NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards -- NO2 nitrogen dioxide -- O3 ozone -- Pb lead -- PM particulate matter -- PM2.5 particles with a nominal mean aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm -- SO2 sulfur dioxide -- VSL value of a statistical life -- WTP willingness-to-pay; Environmental monitoring -- Computer programs -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Computer simulation -- Periodicals; Digital computer simulation -- Periodicals; Computer software -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Computer Simulation -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Logiciels -- Périodiques; Écologie -- Simulation, Méthodes de -- Périodiques; Simulation par ordinateur -- Périodiques; Logiciels -- Périodiques; Computer software; Digital computer simulation; Ecology -- Computer simulation; Environmental monitoring -- Computer programs; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.70015118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.02.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-8152

Abstract

Abstract: A number of software tools exist to estimate the health and economic impacts associated with air quality changes. Over the past 15 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its partners invested substantial time and resources in developing the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program – Community Edition (BenMAP–CE). BenMAP–CE is a publicly available, PC-based open source software program that can be configured to conduct health impact assessments to inform air quality policies anywhere in the world. The developers coded the platform in C# and made the source code available in GitHub, with the goal of building a collaborative relationship with programmers with expertise in other environmental modeling programs. The team recently improved the BenMAP–CE user experience and incorporated new features, while also building a cadre of analysts and BenMAP–CE training instructors in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Highlights: BenMAP–CE is an open source software program developed in C#. The health and economic benefits of improved air quality can be assessed in BenMAP–CE. BenMAP–CE has been used worldwide in conducting health impact assessments.