Impact of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Pollution on Asthma: The Case of Louisiana State (2005–2020)

This study explores the connection between tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) vertical column density levels and asthma hospitalization cases in Louisiana from 2005 to 2020. Utilizing NO2 data from NASA’s Ozone Measurement Instrument (OMI) aboard the Aura satellite, the research integrates these atmospheric measurements with socioeconomic data at the census tract level. This study employs a generalized linear mixed model (GLIMMIX) with a logit link and Beta distribution to analyze the relationship between seasonal NO2 levels and asthma hospitalization cases during winter, fall, spring, and summer. By analyzing OMI data, this research quantifies seasonal variations in NO2 levels and their corresponding impact on asthma hospitalizations. The findings reveal a relationship between NO2 levels and asthma hospitalizations, particularly in communities with high Black and/or low-income populations, with the strongest effects observed during winter. Specifically, the analysis shows that, for each unit increase in NO2 levels, the odds of asthma-related hospitalizations increase by approximately 26.3% (p < 0.0001), with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 23.3% to 29.5%. Assuming a causal link between NO2 and asthma, these findings suggest that reducing NO2 emissions could alleviate healthcare burdens associated with respiratory diseases such as asthma.