Health and the Environment

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Data Sets (2 of 47) View All

Annual PM2.5 Concentrations for Countries and Urban Areas, v1 (1998 – 2016)

Satellite-Derived Environmental Indicators

To provide an annual global surface of concentrations (micrograms per cubic meter) of mineral dust and sea-salt filtered fine particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller (PM2.5) in countries and urban areas for large-scale health and environmental research

ATSDR Hazardous Waste Site Polygon Data, v2 (2010)

Superfund Site Footprints

To provide the ATSDR polygon data set of hazardous waste sites in the United States, Puerto Rico, and other territories which can be used to identify nearby populations and assess their potential risk.

Map Gallery (4 of 436) View All

U.S. EPA National Priorities List Sites, v2: U.S.A.

Map: U.S. EPA National Priorities List Sites, v2: U.S.A.
Hi-Resolution: PDF | PNG

ATSDR Hazardous Waste Sites, v2: U.S.A.

Map: ATSDR Hazardous Waste Sites, v2: U.S.A.
Hi-Resolution: PDF | PNG

ATSDR Hazardous Waste Sites on National Priorities List, v2: U.S.A.

Map: ATSDR Hazardous Waste Sites on National Priorities List, v2: U.S.A.
Hi-Resolution: PDF | PNG

UHI Summer Nighttime Urban-Rural Temperature Difference (2013)

Map: UHI Summer Nighttime Urban-Rural Temperature Difference (2013)
Hi-Resolution: PDF | PNG

Featured Data Uses (2 of 2)

Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Diabetes

The Lancet Planetary Health

Researchers used observations of very small particulates in the air, as monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as via the satellite-based Global Annual PM2.5 Grids from MODIS, MISR and SeaWiFS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), v1 data set distributed by SEDAC, to uncover the relationship between air pollution and type 2 diabetes. Controlling for non-pollution factors like obesity, they found that tiny particulates are responsible for a significant number of diabetes cases and that reducing exposure to the pollution would yield significant health benefits.

Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

State of the Planet

Satellite data offer a particularly valuable perspective on PM2—small particles deriving mostly from burning fossil fuels and biomass, which can harm human health—because ground instruments may be unavailable or offer limited information, as is the case in China. With that in mind, researchers at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and Batelle Memorial Institute have developed maps based on satellite data that depict annual PM2.5 exposure in all of China’s provinces.