Researchers say xAI has minimal air quality impact; Shelby County reports 9 West Nile cases
By Jack Armstrong / Memphis Commercial Appeal
A team of researchers said the xAI data center in South Memphis isn’t contributing meaningfully to air pollution, while Shelby County has reported nine cases of West Nile Virus so far this year.
Also, Rep. Steve Cohen sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency urging Administrator Lee Zeldin to uphold a key finding on greenhouse gases.
Here’s what’s going on in public health and environmental news this week.
Air pollution ‘only slightly worse’ as a result of xAI data center, researchers claim
The xAI data center in South Memphis is only making a small impact on local air quality, claimed a team of researchers at the University of Memphis.
In an article in The Conversation, a nonprofit news organization that publishes articles authored by academics and edited by journalists, researchers detailed how they calculated the impact on air quality of the xAI data center in South Memphis. If the emissions numbers xAI reported to the Shelby County Health Department are accurate, the impact of the data center on local air quality would be minimal, the researchers claimed.
The team estimated particulate matter would increase about 1% — though that increase is added to a level that’s already higher than the national limit, according to the researchers.
The team focused on the Boxton and Riverview neighborhoods.
“Our calculations found that the xAI turbines would contribute minimally to ambient air pollution in both neighborhoods,” the article read. “We also calculated that concentrations of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide would remain well below national standards.”
However, the researchers acknowledged fine particulate matter remains a concern in the area and said sustained, community-based monitoring by regulatory agencies and public health groups would be beneficial.
Shelby County Health Department reports nine West Nile Virus Cases
Shelby County has seen nine human cases of West Nile Virus in 2025, according to the Shelby County Health Department.
The virus can cause serious illness and lead to hospitalization or death, but most people will not experience any symptoms, said Dr. Shirin Mazumder, an infectious disease doctor with Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare. About 20% of people exposed to the virus experience West Nile fever, which can result in symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, Mazumder said.
Less than one percent of infected people develop a serious illness that affects the central nervous system, Mazumder said. Serious symptoms include high fever, disorientation, coma, tremors, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older people, people who have received organ transplants and those with medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease are at greater risk.
Additionally, an unseasonably warm fall in Tennessee could cause mosquitoes to linger later into the season, according to the National Pest Management Association.
The Shelby County Health Department plans to spray insecticides in several areas in Memphis this week.
Cohen asks EPA to uphold emissions finding
In a Sept. 15 letter, Cohen urged the Environmental Protection Agency to uphold the agency’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” which established a basis for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
“By eliminating the Endangerment Finding, the administration aims to undermine other protections against climate pollution: clean car and truck standards, power plant rules, oil and gas rules, landfill rules, and more,” the letter read. “It means giving polluters a free pass to pollute at the expense of families across the country.”
The Obama-era finding established that the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane endangers public health and welfare. The finding requires the EPA to curb emissions under the Clean Air Act and was also used as a prerequisite for implementing emissions standards for vehicles and industry.
Zeldin released the agency’s proposal to rescind the finding in July 2025, citing “uncertainty” for automakers and American consumers.
‘Stop at the Click’ initiative aims to reduce ozone pollution
The Shelby County Health Department hopes to reduce air pollution from gas pumps with its new “Stop at the Click” campaign, which asks drivers to stop fueling once the gas pump clicks off instead of topping off their tank.
“Topping off your tank after the click can cause gasoline to spill and release harmful vapors into the air,” read a Sept. 16 press release. “These vapors contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which react with sunlight and other pollutants to form ground-level ozone, a pollutant that worsens both air quality and lung health.”
Ozone pollution, or smog, is created when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight. These compounds are usually produced by industrial facilities, electric utilities and car exhaust. The American Lung Association gave Shelby County an F for ozone pollution and it’s one of the “most critical air pollution issues in the area,” according to environmental health scientist Jun Wu.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Researchers say xAI has minimal air quality impact; Shelby County reports 9 West Nile cases
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