Nationwide Disparities in Exposure and Susceptibility to Fine Particulate Matter and Extreme Temperatures

Abstract

In the past few decades, and especially recently, much attention has been given to studying the distributions and effects of air pollution and adverse temperatures. Both of these exposures are ubiquitous and responsible for substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. In the United States, the burdens of these exposures are not felt equally. Sections of the population that have been subject to historical discrimination and oppression – such as communities of color – have been shown to be significantly more exposed to adverse environments as a result of such historical context. However, most of what we know of these disparate exposures are derived from fairly coarse geographic data which smooth over fine-scale variations in the social and physical environments. Additionally, evidence is emerging that increased susceptibility in marginalized communities arising from chronic psychosocial stress is another driver of these disparities, independent of disparate exposure levels. In this dissertation, we investigate both disparate exposures and disparate susceptibilities to air pollution and extreme temperatures at fine spatiotemporal scales. We demonstrate that historically marginalized communities continue to be disparately more exposed and more susceptible to these two exposures today, highlighting the urgent need for further efforts to alleviate these burdens in order to achieve health equity.