Data & Methodology
US-SEER merges 11 federal datasets across all 3,142 U.S. counties, connecting air quality, health outcomes, demographics, and statistical controls.
CDC Compressed Mortality & WONDER
County death rates for Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (ICD-10 J40–J47).
Serves as the primary public health outcome across US-SEER for evaluating respiratory death rates.
EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
Ground-level measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across national monitoring networks.
Provides the primary air pollution exposure variable. PM2.5 particles penetrate deep into lungs.
CDC PLACES (Local Health Data)
County prevalence estimates for chronic conditions and health risk behaviors.
Allows US-SEER to control for local smoking rates, the single largest behavioral confounder in respiratory health.
U.S. Census Bureau ACS (5-Year)
Demographic, income, poverty, insurance, and housing data for every U.S. county.
Powers environmental justice analysis by connecting pollution exposure to income and demographics.
EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
Facility reporting of industrial chemical releases to air, land, and water.
Adds industrial facility sources (refineries, chemical plants) alongside general air pollution.
HHS Area Health Resources Files (AHRF)
County-level healthcare workforce, primary care doctor density, and hospital capacity.
Controls for differences in local healthcare access across urban and rural counties.
USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC)
A 1–9 classification system categorizing counties from major metro areas to rural communities.
Enables comparing environmental health impacts between dense urban cities and rural areas.
US-SEER Overall Vulnerability Index
Composite risk score combining PM2.5, toxic releases, health prevalence, poverty, and healthcare access.
Combines multiple data layers into a single score showing overall environmental risk.
CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
Percentile score evaluating 15 census variables across income, housing, and demographics.
Bundles social vulnerability metrics into a standard 0–1 index.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals
30-year averages of temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns across weather stations.
Controls for weather and terrain factors (like valleys that trap air pollution).
BLS Occupational Employment Data
County employment percentages in mining, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Separates workplace dust and chemical exposure from general outdoor air quality.
USGS Water Quality Data (NWIS)
County-level measurements of nitrates, heavy metals, and industrial water pollutants.
Expands US-SEER to look at combined air and water environmental risks.