JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Researchers at the University of Mississippi said they’ve linked exposure to high levels of black carbon in the air to an increase in respiratory-related hospital admissions in Jackson. The study was published in Environmental Pollution.
Courtney Roper, assistant professor of environmental toxicology, found in a 2023 study that Jackson’s air contains the state’s highest concentration of black carbon, which is commonly referred to as soot. In a new study published this summer, Roper’s team found that this pollutant may be contributing to a rise in hospital visits for respiratory issues among older adults.
“We can see that there is a connection between respiratory issues – particularly for women – and these exposures,” Roper said. “The thing that we, as Mississippians, can take right now from this research is that our environment impacts our health.”…