Public Health Data Applications Using the CDC Tracking Network: Augmenting Environmental Hazard Information With Lower-Latency NASA Data

H M Amos; N K Skaff; S Schollaert Uz; F S Policelli; D Slayback; E Macorps; M J Jo; K Patel; C A Keller; P Abue; V Buchard; A K Werner

doi:10.1029/2023GH000971

Public Health Data Applications Using the CDC Tracking Network: Augmenting Environmental Hazard Information With Lower-Latency NASA Data

Geohealth. 2023 Dec 13;7(12):e2023GH000971. doi: 10.1029/2023GH000971. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

H M Amos^{1

2}, N K Skaff³, S Schollaert Uz¹, F S Policelli¹, D Slayback^{1

2}, E Macorps^{1

4}, M J Jo^{1

5}, K Patel^{2

6}, C A Keller^{1

7}, P Abue^{2

6}, V Buchard^{1

5}, A K Werner³

Affiliations

¹ Earth Science Division Goddard Space Flight Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration Greenbelt MD USA.
² Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Lanham MD USA.
³ National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta GA USA.
⁴ NASA Postdoctoral Program, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA.
⁵ University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA.
⁶ University of Texas Austin TX USA.
⁷ Morgan State University Baltimore MD USA.

Abstract

Exposure to environmental hazards is an important determinant of health, and the frequency and severity of exposures is expected to be impacted by climate change. Through a partnership with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network is integrating timely observations and model data of priority environmental hazards into its publicly accessible Data Explorer (https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/DataExplorer/). Newly integrated data sets over the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) include: daily 5-day forecasts of air quality based on the Goddard Earth Observing System Composition Forecast, daily historical (1980-present) concentrations of speciated PM_2.5 based on the modern era retrospective analysis for research and applications, version 2, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily near real-time maps of flooding (MCDWD). Data integrated into the CDC Tracking Network are broadly intended to improve community health through action by informing both research and early warning activities, including (a) describing temporal and spatial trends in disease and potential environmental exposures, (b) identifying populations most affected, (c) generating hypotheses about associations between health and environmental exposures, and (d) developing, guiding, and assessing environmental public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing or eliminating health outcomes associated with environmental factors.

Keywords: air quality; environmental public health; flood; remote sensing.