Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Public Health

First Advisor

Daniel Kilpatrick

Abstract

This study examined how environmental pollution, health conditions, and socio-economic characteristics vary across South Carolina (SC), and attempted to identify communities that face the increased environmental and public health risks. A geospatial dataset of environmental (air and water quality-related) as well as socio-economic indicators obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s EJScreen platform (currently defunct) were used to assess spatial variability across the state. Results of our analysis indicated that communities in the Upstate region of SC appeared to be under the greatest environmental pollution risks. The Pee Dee region had the highest proportion of people of color and low-income; the sub-populations identified by EPA as those most relevant for environmental justice indices. Spatial variations in major health condition variables were also assessed using modeled data obtained from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2025a). As compared to the rest of the state, the Pee Dee region exhibited a higher prevalence of many major health outcomes. Welch’s t-test was then performed to identify communities in SC that were significantly (p-value ≤ 0.05) more vulnerable to pollution and public health risks. Overall, the results outlined higher risks of pollution exposure and critical health conditions for communities with higher proportion of people of color and low-income status. Geater risks of critical health conditions were also noted for the communities from SC’s rural areas. Finally, the study evaluated the relationship between key health issues and environmental pollution based on a review of the literature, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. Even though associations between pollution and health issues were identified through the literature review, the correlation analysis and multiple linear regression did not offer significant evidence of such linkages. Overall, the study findings can be beneficial for governmental, non-profit, and other community-based program planning aimed at improving environmental and public health efforts in SC.

Rights

© 2026, Subrena Alam

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