Associations Between Marine Plastic Pollution and Disease Burden: A Cross-National Study of COPD and Skin Disorders ^†

Despite the increasing global concern about plastic waste pollution, its specific implications for chronic disease patterns across socioeconomic contexts remain underexplored. Most prior research has focused on environmental or marine ecosystem effects, with limited attention to the human health dimension, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to investigate the ecological correlations between per capita marine plastic emissions and the burden of COPD and skin diseases, with stratification by national income levels. We merged 2019 per capita plastic emission data (Our World in Data), 2021 Global Burden of Disease estimates (IHME) for COPD and skin disorders, and 2025 World Bank income classifications. Plastic consumption data were based on the most recent available year (2019), assuming relative stability across adjacent years. A moderate positive correlation was observed between plastic emissions and skin disease DALYs (r = 0.45), and a weaker correlation with COPD prevalence (r = 0.36). High-income countries showed lower disease burdens despite higher plastic output, suggesting contextual factors such as healthcare access. Marine plastic emissions may contribute to chronic disease disparities worldwide. Integrating environmental sustainability into public health frameworks is vital, especially in vulnerable low- and middle-income countries.