School of Medicine
66 Characterization of Satellite-Derived Air Pollutant Measurements for T2DM Incidence Correlation Studies
Adriana Payan-Medina; Ramkiran Gouripeddi (School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and Center of Excellence in Exposure Health Informatics); Naomi Riches (Biomedical Informatics and Center of Excellence in Exposure Health Informatics); and Julio Facelli (Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah)
Faculty Mentor: Ramkiran Gouripeddi (Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah)
Introduction: Physiologically detrimental chemicals from motor vehicles, fossil fuels, and industrial emissions can have devastating impacts on global health. Chemical pollution and particulates can be inhaled deep into the lungs and enter circulation within the bloodstream, contributing to tissue damage, increased cardiovascular or respiratory health risks, and inflammatory or metabolic insults [1]. Preliminary studies have shown that criteria pollutants (CO, NO2, O3, PM2.5, SO2) stimulate these conditions, potentially promoting an increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) incidence in locations with adverse air quality (AQ) [2], inducing lifelong morbidity and encumbering the health care system. Forthcoming economic development and urbanization cause projected increases in air pollution and an increased burden of T2DM incidence [1], demonstrating the need for widespread and accurate pollutant measurements. Several studies have utilized ground monitored AQ measurements to investigate the correlation between T2DM prevalence and exposure levels, finding statistically significant, positive relationships [1,2]. Unfortunately, not all AQ and T2DM relationship factors are reported consistently: such studies still hold considerable ambiguity concerning the validity of the ground-monitor obtained AQ measurements. A critical issue not successfully addressed is the reliability of a ground based AQ monitor on those living outside its range. Ground-based monitors are generally located in population-dense areas, leaving 79 million Americans in unmonitored or monitor sparse locations [3]. In contrast, satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) gives access to spatiotemporal air pollution data through global exposure coverage of criteria pollutant concentrations through geographic coordinate specific values.
Methods: To expand the spatial and temporal availability of air quality data, a data retrieval infrastructure that generated practical, spatially, and temporally widespread chemical pollutant files for the criteria pollutants separated by year and location was developed. This infrastructure was designed through NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) pollutant concentration measurements [4], available through geographic-coordinate gridded daily files. After these daily fil