Resident Odor Reports and Differing Health Outcomes in Areas of Industrial Emission Odor, Louisville, Kentucky

Background: Air pollution regulations have historically treated odors as a public nuisance. Participatory, or citizen science, can provide important data through systematic, mobile application-assisted odor reporting. Objectives: This study leverages participatory public health science using the Smell MyCity app to investigate resident-reported odors and their association with census tract health outcomes in Louisville, Kentucky. Methods: We analyzed 6,868 odor reports from 2018 to 2024 to identify census tracts where industrial and chemical odor reports cluster. Disease prevalences from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PLACES data were compared between these tracts and the entire county. Results: Results suggest associations between frequent odor reporting areas and increased health risks, highlighting the public health significance of environmental odors needing further investigation, and the importance of community-driven data collection in this field of study. Conclusions: This community-driven reporting initiative may be a useful addition to health research in areas with high industrial emission odor

Air pollution · Census · Citizen science · Data collection · Odor · Public health · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting · Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure