Cutting ship pollution near Port Houston to improve local air and health
Official title: Effects of an Intervention on Shipping-Related Air Pollution and Health
Funded at Texas A&m Transportation Institute · NIH-11283982 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether lowering sulfur in ship fuel around Port Houston led to cleaner air and fewer hospital visits and deaths for nearby residents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Transportation Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project start | February 13, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $530,372 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES034095-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283982 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The work is most directly relevant to residents of Harris County, Texas—especially people living in neighborhoods close to Port Houston and other shipping corridors.
✕Less likely to help
People who live far from ports or whose health problems are unrelated to air pollution are unlikely to see direct benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
If you live near Port Houston, researchers will compare air quality and health records from before and after the 2015 rule that required low-sulfur ship fuel. They will use advanced air-mapping methods to separate ship emissions from other pollution sources and link those changes to hospital admissions and mortality in Harris County. The team will analyze patterns across neighborhoods, ages, and ethnic groups to see who benefited most. Results come from local air data, statistical models, and health records rather than enrolling people in treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that shipping fuel rules lead to cleaner air and fewer hospital visits and deaths for people living near ports.
How similar studies have gone: Prior air-pollution policy studies have shown cleaner air and health gains after similar fuel and emission rules, but this project applies new spatial methods specifically to Port Houston.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Transportation Institute
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Eun Sug — Texas A&m Transportation Institute
- Study coordinator: Park, Eun Sug
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.