New study ties industrial air pollution in La. to increased risk of pregnancy complications and learning disabilities

By Madhri Yehiya

Contributing Writer

(Veritenews.org) – Louisiana residents living near industrial areas are at a greater risk of experiencing learning disabilities, anemia miscarriage and many other health conditions according to a new research study based on data from Medicaid claims made in the state.

The Collaborative Data Analysis (CoDA) research team – which included researchers from Dillard University, Virginia Tech and the University of California San Francisco – looked into the negative health impacts of residential exposure to industrial pollution using data from Louisiana Medicaid claims from 2017 to 2019. The results of the report were presented at Dillard on Tuesday (April 14). 

The study identified a wide range of potential health risks tied to industrial pollution. Researchers found that children living in zip codes with high rates of pollution had an elevated risk of nutritional anemia, learning disabilities, dermatitis and eczema and that young girls have an elevated risk of early puberty. For non-smoking adult women, there was a higher risk of uterine fibroids and breast cancer. Among non-smoking adults who have been pregnant, the risk of complications such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and preeclampsia was also elevated. For adults overall, the risk of nutritional and other types of anemia was found to be higher in industrial areas.

As part of the study, the researchers conducted 22 focus group sessions primarily in residential areas near petrochemical and industrial facilities, such as Lake Charles, St. James Parish, Belle Chasse and Baton Rouge, inviting community members to learn about existing data and share their personal experiences with health problems.

Nearly 40 percent of Louisiana’s population relies on Medicaid. Researchers analyzed anonymized records of in-patient and out-patient health services paid for by Medicaid, taking note of patients’ diagnoses and their proximity to petrochemical facilities and petroleum refineries in the state. The study focused on the few years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic because of the disruptive effect the pandemic had on community health and the health care system.

The study adds to an existing body of evidence linking industrial pollution to increased risk of poor health outcomes within Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations. Verite News previously reported on the health issues of residents in St. Gabriel, a small city located in Cancer Alley, as well as efforts to install air quality monitors and increase regulation of nearby petrochemical facilities.

Juliet Nussbaum, a Dillard epidemiologist who worked on the study, said residents were surprised by some of the information presented during the focus groups, but for the most part saw their own health issues reflected in the data.

“I think that many community members were already drawing the link between the pollution exposure that they’re experiencing in their area and some of the health conditions that they were experiencing,” she said. “Overall, the things that we were presenting were not really new to most people.”

Residents who participated in the focus groups consistently shared health concerns that aligned with the researchers’ findings, as well as brought up other conditions such as cancer and respiratory issues that were not widely represented in the Medicaid claims data. Community members also expressed a desire for local officials to advocate for more environmentally-friendly practices from companies that run industrial facilities and for school districts and public health agencies to raise awareness of the health risks associated with living in a heavily industrialized area.

“It was just shocking that children and adults were experiencing anemia and it was related to air pollution,” added Kenya Goodson, the project’s research consultant and community engagement specialist. “I never would have put those two together.”

Participants were encouraged to anonymously answer online poll questions such as “What needs to change to have a healthy, vibrant and prosperous Louisiana?” and “As a state, how can we work towards creating a healthier Louisiana?” at Tuesday’s event.

“We should no longer be forced to pay for these industries with our dollars and our bodies,” wrote one virtual participant. 

Louisiana has one of the most generous tax-break programs for large manufacturers in the country, with an 80 percent exemption on property taxes for up to 10 years. Many petrochemical companies in particular have taken advantage of the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

Barbara Allen, project co-director and a professor at Virginia Tech University, said the researchers used data from government sources such as Medicaid, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, to provide a layer of credibility for state and local policymakers – who often deny or disregard links between polluting industries and adverse health outcomes.

“It’s environmentally related, and it’s directly related to industry, and now they have proof, and the proof is from the government,” she said.

The researchers said they hope to expand their work in future to examine the links between cancer and living in industrialized areas of Louisiana.

Allen added that health studies like the CoDa project only work when people go on to use it as a tool for advocacy. She said she hopes residents put pressure on their local officials to enforce stricter air monitoring in industrialized areas, especially because of how poor health in childhood can have ripple effects across the rest of someone’s life.

“This is going on with our kids, with our pregnant women,” she said. “We’re looking at the future here, and we’re hoping that that rings loudly for some people.”

This article originally published in the April 20, 2026 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.