Air quality is playing a role in how communities are being most impacted by the COVID-19 disease. Higher air pollution can exacerbate the spread of infection from the virus. Darshan Karwat, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering in the Fulton Schools and ASU’s School for the Future of Science and Innovation, is doing research to assess environmental factors in Phoenix neighborhoods heighten the risk of residents to exposure to COVID-19. He sees a correlation between higher poverty and pollution levels and higher rates of illness. Karwat is working with ASU colleague Jennifer Vanos on a project to help determine what policy changes could help reduce disparities in pollution levels among Phoenix neighborhoods.

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Fulton Schools Professor Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, is quoted.