NASA Earth Data Gets Local for National Public Health Week

Applied Sciences Program of NASA

Ozone monitoring in a nationwide City Health Dashboard and tracking red tides are two NASA projects that fit into the theme of this year’s National Public Health Week, sponsored by American Public Health Association, from April 4 to April 10, 2022. The theme for 2022 is “Public Health is Where You Are,” intended to encourage a closer look at how our surrounding environment impacts community health.

From assessing changes in coastal water quality to city air quality dashboards, NASA’s Health and Air Quality program area is dedicated to working with community partners and stakeholders to share NASA Earth observations that to help inform local decision making for protecting communities’ health.

Ozone Mapping for City Health

Earth science data from ground observations and computer models are now included into the existing U.S. City Health Dashboard. Ozone is a harmful air pollutant that can have dangerous respiratory effects even for otherwise healthy individuals, but especially for vulnerable communities like children with asthma and the elderly. More than 80% of U.S. residents live in urban areas, where ozone pollution is usually at higher levels.