Environmental Impact of Water and Air Contaminants on Public Health

Background: Established literature suggests a strong relationship between exposure to air contaminants and physical health. Similarly, numerous studies have demonstrated the effects of water pollution on public health. Texas denizens are often victims of poor air and water quality, yet there are scant studies that have integrated evidence of health tolls caused by air and water pollution across the state. In this study, we assessed the relationship between particulate matter Methods: The study used data from the 2018 Medicare and Medicaid report which displayed chronic health conditions across all counties in Texas. Additionally, the study also includes collected data on Bromoform, Nitrate, and Total Dissolve Solid concentrations from different water systems provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Public Drinking Water Watch annual reports. Out of 251 Texas counties, complete data was only available from 28 counties representing different quadrants of this state. Results: The annual average of PM2.5 concentrations throughout Texas in 2018 ranged from 4.61 to 10.68 mg/m3. PM2.5 was positively associated with Alzheimer’s disease/Dementia occurrence (r = 0.587). Similar correlations were also observed with chronic kidney disease (r = 0.594), COPD (r = 0.418), hyperlipidemia (r = 0.683), hypertension (r = 0.463), ischemic heart disease (r = 0.441), osteoporosis (r = 0.613), and stroke (r = 0.493). For water contaminants, Bromoform and Nitrates had no significant correlations with any health conditions. Concerning Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L), the results showed a positive trend with Alzheimer’s disease/Dementia (r = 0.583), heart failure, and ischemic heart disease (r = 0.402). Surprisingly, Total Dissolved Solids displayed a negative correlation with cancer (r = -0.641) and a moderate association with chronic kidney disease (r = 0.397). Conclusion: While this analysis lacks certain controls, the associations between the variables observed warrant a significant improvement in the overall quality and continuous monitoring of the state of Texas’ public drinking water sources and regional air.