Date of Award

2026-08-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Environmental Sciences

Advisor(s)

Thomas E. Gill

Abstract

Air pollution has been widely associated with adverse cardiovascular health outcomes; however, most research in arid regions has focused on high-intensity dust events rather than routine, non-dust conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the association between non-dust air pollution and cardiovascular hospitalizations in El Paso County, Texas. A time series analysis was conducted using hospitalization data from 2010 to 2014. Daily counts on non-dust event days of cardiovascular hospitalizations, including hypertensive diseases, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and diseases of pulmonary circulation, were examined in relation to ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone. Quasi-Poisson regression models with distributed lag structures (lag 0-7 days) were used to estimate relative risks while adjusting for meteorological variables, temporal trends, seasonality, and day-of-year effects. Geospatial analyses were performed by aggregating hospitalizations at the census block group level and mapping spatial patterns alongside interpolated pollutant concentrations. No statistically significant associations were observed between PM2.5 or ozone concentrations on non-dust event days and cardiovascular hospitalizations across disease categories or lag periods. Relative risk estimates were generally close to null, and confidence intervals frequently included 1.0. Spatial analyses revealed geographic variability in both pollutant concentrations and hospitalization counts; however, no clear spatial correspondence between areas of higher pollution increased hospitalization burden was identified. These findings suggest that routine background levels of PM2.5 and ozone under non-dust conditions may not be sufficient to produce detectable short-term increases in cardiovascular hospitalizations in this region. In contrast to prior studies demonstrating significant health impacts from dust events, this study highlights the importance of exposure intensity and type in shaping health outcomes in arid environments. Continued research incorporating improved exposure assessment and long-term analyses is needed to better understand the health impacts of air pollution in desert urban settings.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

101 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Alexia Breanna Reyes

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