Investigating Pollution Sources and Asthma Morbidity in Communities of Color, with Sarah Chambliss, PhD

New research has found that semiconductor fabrication plants (SFPs) are located disproportionately in census tracts with a greater proportion of Black and Latinx residents and higher indicators of social vulnerability, slightly increasing population-based incidence of asthma-related emergency department visits.

These findings were presented at the 2025 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting in San Diego from February 28 – March 3, by Sarah Chambliss, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at University of Texas at Austin.

HCPLive spoke with Chambliss to learn more about the background behind her research investigating pollution sources as a potential association with higher asthma morbidity in Black Americans and higher rates of emergency department visits for asthma in Latino Americans. She stressed the legacy of pollution sources and highways being built in neighborhoods that are predominantly communities of color, and how industry continues to build up in these areas. One growing pollution source is SFPs as microchip manufacturing grows in prevalence.

Chambliss and colleagues found that, after adjusting for other socioeconomic factors, there was around a 1% increase in asthma-related emergency department visits per unit of distance from the SFPS, which, while small, adds up over time and with close proximity. She also suggested some ways health care providers can keep relevant pollution sources in mind when treating their patients.

“At AAAAI, you know, we're not talking about land use, we're not talking about urban planning, but we can talk about partnerships between the health care community and these at risk more vulnerable communities. Maybe there could be more outreach in terms of preventative care for asthma. If you know that there are environmental exposures in these areas that could be contributing to worse asthma outcomes, I think that that should be on the radar of clinicians,” Chambliss said.

Chambliss's research is supported by an NIH grant.

REFERENCE

Chambliss S, Zigler C, Warner A, et al. Understanding the Role of Pollution Sources in Intracity Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: Proximity to Semiconductor Facilities, Neighborhood Demographic Characteristics, and Asthma-related Emergency Department Visits. Presented at: AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress, San Diego; 2/28-3/3. Abstract 865