Air pollution and COVID-19 mortality increase in poor areas

Shinsuke Tanaka, Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut, US, identified significant discrepancies in mortality data by country during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his analysis, Professor Tanaka determined that the observed spatial heterogeneity in the impact of the virus was associated with long-term exposure to pollutants in the world’s poorest regions. Since the 2020 lockdown, further research has been conducted, and the findings have been published in a paper by Tanaka in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. This paper shows that counties with more days of wind pollution from fossil-fueled power plants have higher rates of mortality from COVID-19. This impact is most pronounced in communities with limited resources. The study revealed that the cumulative mortality rate due to COVID-19 was 45% higher in counties that experienced more frequent wind pollution from fossil-fueled power plants than in areas with less wind exposure. The analysis also highlighted that these impacts were more pronounced in counties with higher poverty rates, lower health insurance coverage, and less access to education. Research like Tanaka’s also underscores the substantial impact of fossil fuels on public health costs, paving the way for further investigation into other health outcomes.