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Making the Environmental Justice Grade: The Relative Burden of Air Pollution Exposure in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Marie Lynn Miranda

    (Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

  • Sharon E. Edwards

    (Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

  • Martha H. Keating

    (Keating Environmental, 7508 Thunder Mountain, Efland, NC 27243, USA)

  • Christopher J. Paul

    (Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

Abstract

This paper assesses whether the Clean Air Act and its Amendments have been equally successful in ensuring the right to healthful air quality in both advantaged and disadvantaged communities in the United States. Using a method to rank air quality established by the American Lung Association in its 2009 State of the Air report along with EPA air quality data, we assess the environmental justice dimensions of air pollution exposure and access to air quality information in the United States. We focus on the race, age, and poverty demographics of communities with differing levels of ozone and particulate matter exposure, as well as communities with and without air quality information. Focusing on PM 2.5 and ozone, we find that within areas covered by the monitoring networks, non-Hispanic blacks are consistently overrepresented in communities with the poorest air quality. The results for older and younger age as well as poverty vary by the pollution metric under consideration. Rural areas are typically outside the bounds of air quality monitoring networks leaving large segments of the population without information about their ambient air quality. These results suggest that substantial areas of the United States lack monitoring data, and among areas where monitoring data are available, low income and minority communities tend to experience higher ambient pollution levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie Lynn Miranda & Sharon E. Edwards & Martha H. Keating & Christopher J. Paul, 2011. "Making the Environmental Justice Grade: The Relative Burden of Air Pollution Exposure in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-17, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:8:y:2011:i:6:p:1755-1771:d:12516
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Evan J. Ringquist, 2005. "Assessing evidence of environmental inequities: A meta-analysis," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(2), pages 223-247.
    2. Paul Mohai & Robin Saha, 2006. "Reassessing racial and socioeconomic disparities in environmental justice research," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(2), pages 383-399, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qiao Yu & Brian Yueshuai He & Jiaqi Ma & Yifang Zhu, 2023. "California’s zero-emission vehicle adoption brings air quality benefits yet equity gaps persist," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Andrea Hricko & Glovioell Rowland & Sandrah Eckel & Angelo Logan & Maryam Taher & John Wilson, 2014. "Global Trade, Local Impacts: Lessons from California on Health Impacts and Environmental Justice Concerns for Residents Living near Freight Rail Yards," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-28, February.
    3. James Ming Chen & Mira Zovko & Nika Šimurina & Vatroslav Zovko, 2021. "Fear in a Handful of Dust: The Epidemiological, Environmental, and Economic Drivers of Death by PM 2.5 Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-59, August.
    4. Yanelli Nunez & Jaime Benavides & Jenni A. Shearston & Elena M. Krieger & Misbath Daouda & Lucas R. F. Henneman & Erin E. McDuffie & Jeff Goldsmith & Joan A. Casey & Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, 2024. "An environmental justice analysis of air pollution emissions in the United States from 1970 to 2010," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Steven G. Brown & Janice Lam Snyder & Michael C. McCarthy & Nathan R. Pavlovic & Stephen D’Andrea & Joseph Hanson & Amy P. Sullivan & Hilary R. Hafner, 2020. "Assessment of Ambient Air Toxics and Wood Smoke Pollution among Communities in Sacramento County," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-24, February.
    6. Tony G. Reames & Dorothy M. Daley & John C. Pierce, 2021. "Exploring the Nexus of Energy Burden, Social Capital, and Environmental Quality in Shaping Health in US Counties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Giovanni Imbriani & Alessandra Panico & Tiziana Grassi & Adele Idolo & Francesca Serio & Francesco Bagordo & Giovanni De Filippis & Donato De Giorgi & Gianfranco Antonucci & Prisco Piscitelli & Manuel, 2021. "Early-Life Exposure to Environmental Air Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Available Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-24, January.
    8. repec:ags:aaea22:335760 is not listed on IDEAS

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