![]() The third issue is the sheer number of MDIs in use. The second problem is their incredible stability great for preserving the drug while in the inhaler, but it means they take decades to break down in the atmosphere, and some of the compounds they degrade into are also ‘greenhouse gases’. According to research published by the University of Manchester, one puff of a typical MDI using the common propellant HFA-134a has a global warming potential equivalent of 0.13 kg of CO2. But they are 1,000 to 3,000 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). HFAs were introduced into inhalers in the 1990s, as a solution to ozone-damaging CFCs. So what’s the scale of the problem?įirst up, the propellants used are a group of chemicals called Hydroflouroalkanes (HFAs). And it is these very properties that make the propellant damaging to the atmosphere. It also has to be chemically inert to avoid reactions with the drug, which is highly reactive (hence its ability to act quickly). The propellant needs to be highly compressible to make the device small and portable. The problem is caused by the propellant used to expel the drug from a tiny pressurised canister. The thing is, it’s NOT Salbutamol that damages the atmosphere. It can be triggered by one or several factors such as allergies, anxiety, sensitivity to weather changes or physical exertion. A 200 dose salbutamol sulphate ‘reliever’ via a metered-dose inhaler (with an HFA propellant)Īsthma is a condition that affects your airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. It’s one of those miracle drugs that is incredibly effective, rapid-acting, and yet (for most patients) has almost no significant side effects – other than the joy of suddenly being able to breathe! It’s used to relieve the symptoms of asthma – a debilitating lung condition with a real capability to kill. ![]() Salbutamol is a lifesaver and a life changer. The villain of the piece is the Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI), used to deliver Salbutamol and similar medication. A tiny, blue plastic tube, normally less than 10 cm in length. One of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gas for which the NHS is responsible comes via something that many patients – and staff – carry around in their pockets. ![]()
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