Fresh evidence of the impact of economic complexity, health expenditure, natural resources, plastic consumption, and renewable energy in air pollution deaths in the USA? An empirical approach

Most plastic waste generated from plastic consumption cannot be recycled and is destroyed by burning. As a result of burning plastics, microplastics spread into the atmosphere, increasing air pollution. Respiratory diseases and chronic health problems are caused by air pollution. Approximately 7 million people die each year due to pollution-related ailments. Therefore, it is crucial to provide empirical evidence rather than approximate estimates of the role of plastic consumption in air pollution-related deaths. Also, understanding the causes of air pollution-related deaths and demonstrating the policies' effectiveness will provide valuable insights for policymakers, the international community, and researchers. This study investigates the effects of plastic consumption, health expenditures, natural resources, economic complexity, and renewable energy on air pollution deaths in the USA from 1995 to 2019 using the novel Fourier Augmented ARDL method. The findings show that plastic consumption, health expenditures, natural resources, and economic complexity increase air pollution deaths, while renewable energy decreases it. Such findings imply that plastic consumption is an essential determinant of air pollution-related mortality, that health policy must be reconsidered, that efficient use of resources is important and that sophisticated economic structures do not always produce the desired results. Overall, policymakers should review health policies to reduce deaths from air pollution and take measures to support green growth using renewable energy and economic complexity tools.