Can sustainable aviation fuel use provide substantial health co-benefits to populations around United States airports?

Aviation emissions contribute to air quality deterioration, adversely impacting the health of the population near airports. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding how sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) may mitigate these health impacts. This study introduces a framework to evaluate changes in adverse health outcomes for the population near airports when SAF is used. We developed a systematic approach to calculate the marginal changes in air pollutants using literature-synthesized emission-factors for ASTM D7566 SAF blending scenarios with Jet A fuel, assessing the spatial impact of aviation air pollutants, estimating marginal changes in mortalities and morbidities, and quantifying the associated monetary values resulting from SAF blending for nearby population. The study provides examples of calculating the health cobenefits of SAF for Los Angeles international airport (focusing on PM 2.5 reduction) and Seattle-Tacoma airport (focusing on ultrafine particles (UFPs) reduction), while also examining the distribution of benefits to vulnerable areas. The results indicate that vulnerable populations within 10 km and 25 km of Los Angeles international airport receive 30–75% and 43–68% of the health benefits due to reduction in air pollutants from SAF usage, respectively. Around Seattle-Tacoma airport, 74% of the SAF-related benefits, particularly due to UFP emissions, are directed to population in vulnerable area near the airport. The developed method and case studies illustrate that the framework effectively assesses the health benefits of SAF usage and the associated economic values for populations near airports in the United States and beyond. This approach offers valuable insights into the potential public health improvements and economic advantages resulting from SAF adoption.