Air pollution and chronic disease in South Korea’s industrial zones: evidence from a cohort follow-up study

Abstract In South Korea, residents living near industrial complexes are subject to environmental pollutant exposure not only from large-scale facilities but also from small businesses. This study investigated the environmental and health impacts of such exposure in Gyeonggi-do using atmospheric dispersion modeling and meteorological analysis. Health effects were assessed through cohort analysis using national health big data and SAS Enterprise Guide. The highest average PM₁₀ concentration over a 3-month period was recorded in 2019 (77.54 μg/m 3 ), followed by 2017 (76.32 μg/m 3 ) and 2020 (54.02 μg/m 3 ). The dominant wind direction was westerly (8%), followed by northwesterly (7%), contributing to pollutant accumulation within a 2-km radius of the industrial area. PM₁₀ levels exceeded the annual average standard (50 μg/m 3 ) by 4.0% to 74.8%, corresponding to concentrations of 2.00–37.38 μg/m 3 . Epidemiological analysis revealed a significantly higher incidence of rhinitis in both the exposed (50.31%) and control areas (51.60%) ( p < 0.01). However, the overall respiratory disease incidence was significantly greater in the exposed group (34.60%) compared to the control group (30.31%) ( p < 0.01). These results indicate that long-term residence near multipurpose industrial complexes is associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases and may contribute to cancer and chronic illness. This study provides critical baseline data for future research on environmental health impacts in industrial regions.