Assessing Health Risks and Socioeconomic Disparities Associated with Ambient Air Pollution and Point Sources across the United States

Abstract

Air quality in the United States (U.S.) has significantly improved over the last few decades. Nevertheless, many parts of the country still suffer from high levels of air pollution, including numerous non-attainment areas. This study aims to provide a systematic analysis to quantify the impact of air pollution on human health across the entire U.S. By combining the 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health surveys, criteria air pollutants, and socioeconomic status at the census tract level, we seek to (1) assess the impacts of air pollution on human health, and (2) investigate environmental health and air pollution disparities across the U.S. Our analysis suggests that fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with most diseases, while ozone (O₃) is highly correlated with the prevalence of cancer and kidney disease. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is positively correlated with multiple health outcomes, whereas nitrogen oxide (NO) shows mixed correlations across different diseases. Health risks significantly increase as the levels of PM_2.5 and O₃ exceed 14 μg m^-3 and 40 ppb, respectively. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between disease prevalence, air pollution levels, and socioeconomic status. Minority and low-income groups across the U.S. are exposed to higher levels of PM_2.5 and are prone to greater health risks, including asthma, high blood pressure, mental health, physical health, diabetes, and kidney disease. Notably, individuals exposed to PM_2.5 levels greater than 9.0 μg m^-3 have a higher risk of self-rating their health as poor status (RR: 1.202, 95% CI: 1.200, 1.203). Residents living within a 5-km radius of point source emissions from the oil and gas sector experience significant health impacts, particularly to naphthalene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emitted during oil and gas production. This study highlights significant health disparities driven by environmental pollution inequality, particularly impacting low-income and minority groups across the U.S.