A risk-based model to assess environmental justice and coronary heart disease burden from traffic-related air pollutants

Abstract

Background: Communities need to efficiently estimate the burden from specific pollutants and identify those most at risk to make timely informed policy decisions. We developed a risk-based model to estimate the burden of black carbon (BC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) on coronary heart disease (CHD) across environmental justice (EJ) and non-EJ populations in Allegheny County, PA. Methods: Exposure estimates in census tracts were modeled via land use regression and analyzed in relation to US Census data. Tracts were ranked into quartiles of exposure (Q1-Q4). A risk-based model for estimating the CHD burden attributed to BC and NO 2 was developed using county health statistics, census tract level exposure estimates, and quantitative effect estimates available in the literature. Results: For both pollutants, the relative occurrence of EJ tracts (> 20% poverty and/or > 30% non-white minority) in Q2-Q4 compared to Q1 progressively increased and reached a maximum in Q4. EJ tracts were 4 to 25 times more likely to be in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the lowest quartile for BC and NO 2 , respectively. Pollutantspecific risk values (mean [95% CI]) for CHD mortality were higher in EJ tracts (5.49 × 10 − 5 [5.05 × 10 − 5-5.92 × 10 − 5 ]; 5.72 × 10 − 5 [5.44 × 10 − 5-6.01 × 10 − 5 ] for BC and NO 2 , respectively) compared to non-EJ tracts (3.94 × 10 − 5 [3.66 × 10 − 5-4.23 × 10 − 5 ]; 3.49 × 10 − 5 [3.27 × 10 − 5-3.70 × 10 − 5 ] for BC and NO 2 , respectively). While EJ tracts represented 28% of the county population, they accounted for about 40% of the CHD mortality attributed to each pollutant. EJ tracts are disproportionately skewed toward areas of high exposure and EJ residents bear a greater risk for air pollution-related disease compared to other county residents. Conclusions: We have combined a risk-based model with spatially resolved long-term exposure estimates to predict CHD burden from air pollution at the census tract level. It provides quantitative estimates of effects that can be used to assess possible health disparities, track temporal changes, and inform timely local community policy decisions. Such an approach can be further expanded to include other pollutants and adverse health endpoints.

Prioritized Research for the Prevention, Treatment, and Reversal of Chronic Disease: Recommendations From the Lifestyle Medicine Research Summit

“…Built and natural environments (sidewalks, parks) are needed to support safe physical activities which become part of regular, easy-to-do routines at home, in schools, at worksites and in neighborhoods ( 152 ). There is growing evidence that social and environmental inequities experienced by some racial and ethnic groups and underserved populations contribute to increased rates of a variety of diseases ( 153 ). Inequities in the social determinants of health (many operating across generations), contribute to health behaviors and outcomes across population groups and geographies.…”

Psychosocial Stress Modifies the Acute Cardiac Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution

“…Traffic-related air pollution has a significant impact on human health and contribute substantially to the burden of cardiovascular disease. 1 Black carbon (BC) is an important tracer of traffic-related air pollution, and one of its major sources in the urban environment is the motor vehicle emissions. 2 As one major component of particulate matter (PM), BC aerosols adsorb heavy metals and other toxic substances on its surface, which may have an adverse effect on human health when enter the body.…”

“…Traffic-related air pollution has a significant impact on human health and contribute substantially to the burden of cardiovascular disease . Black carbon (BC) is an important tracer of traffic-related air pollution, and one of its major sources in the urban environment is the motor vehicle emissions .…”

Efficiency of health risk mitigation: complex assessment based on fuzzy sets theory and applied in planning activities aimed at ambient air protection

“…Thus, Kliucininkas L., Velykiene D. (2009) examined abandoned industrial territories which had been previously exploited and suggested a procedure for calculating "emdavector', a complex index that comprised parameters of damage done to health and the environment due to economic activities [15]. Fabisiak et al (2020) described a model based on risk assessment and clusterization of territories; the model showed how a burden of cardiovascular diseases occurred under exposure to certain environmental factors [16]. The model incorporated regression analysis and assessment of spatially distributed data on morbidity among population, ambient air contamination, and quantitative parameters of ex-__________________________ 1 The concept of the demographic policy in the Russian Federation up to 2025 / approved by the RF President Order on October 9, 2007 No.…”