GIS-based measures of environmental equity: Exploring their sensitivity and significance

Sheppard, Eric; Leitner, Helga; McMaster, Robert; Tian, Hao

doi:10.1038/sj.jea.7500023

Cited by 117 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The geographic scale of analysis can be an important factor and should reflect populations with homogeneous exposures as much as possible (Sheppard et al, 1999). County-level analyses conducted in the US found that people of color were more likely to live in counties with higher toxic industrial emissions, but also that household income was higher in counties with higher industrial releases (Perlin et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traffic density in California: Socioeconomic and ethnic differences among potentially exposed children

Gunier

Hertz

Behren

et al. 2003

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

187

134

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Motor vehicles are the main source of many hazardous air pollutants in California. Previous studies have shown that low-income and minority populations are more likely to live near industrial sources of pollution and in areas that do not meet national air quality standards. We estimated neighborhood exposures to motor vehicle emissions from a road network with daily traffic counts using a geographic information system. To calculate traffic density, we summed the average daily vehicle miles of travel per square mile of land area for each census block group in the state. We used 1990 census data to characterize the population by age, race and socioeconomic status in block groups with high traffic density. Block groups with more than 500,000 vehicle miles of travel per square mile were defined to be high traffic density. Statewide, about 5% of all block groups met this criterion and more than 215,000 children under 15 years of age lived in these high traffic density areas. Block groups in the lowest quartile of median family income were three times more likely to have high traffic density than block groups in the highest income quartile. The percentage of children living in high traffic density block groups increased with decreasing median family income for all race and ethnicities except White. Overall, children of color were about three times more likely to live in high-traffic areas than were white children. Based on this analysis, low-income and children of color have higher potential exposure to vehicle emissions. Future exposure assessment studies should target the highest traffic density areas, and health studies should consider the differences by income and race or ethnicity during design.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traffic density in California: Socioeconomic and ethnic differences among potentially exposed children

Gunier

Hertz

Behren

et al. 2003

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

187

134

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Many environmental justice studies do not consider exposure to pollutants but are limited to the locations of hazardous facilities (Sheppard et al, 1999;Saha and Mohai, 2005;Kearney and Kiros, 2009). Those studies assume that distance from an emission source is a reliable proxy for human exposure (Jerrett et al, 2005).…”

Section: Inequitable Exposure To Toxic Air Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying inequitable exposure to toxic air pollution in racialized and low-income neighbourhoods to support pollution prevention

et al. 2013

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Abstract.Numerous environmental justice studies have confirmed a relationship between population characteristics such as low-income or minority status and the location of environmental health hazards. However, studies of the health risks from exposure to harmful substances often do not consider their toxicological characteristics. We used two different methods, the unit-hazard and the distance-based approach, to evaluate demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population residing near industrial facilities in the City of Toronto, Canada. In addition to the mass of air emissions obtained from the national pollutant release inventory (NPRI), we also considered their toxicity using toxic equivalency potential (TEP) scores. Results from the unit-hazard approach indicate no significant difference in the proportion of low-income individuals living in host versus non-host census tracts (t(107) = 0.3, P = 0.735). However, using the distance-based approach, the proportion of low-income individuals was significantly higher (+5.1%, t(522) = 6.0, P <0.001) in host tracts, while the indicator for "racialized" communities ("visible minority") was 16.1% greater (t(521) = 7.2, P <0.001) within 2 km of a NPRI facility. When the most toxic facilities by non-carcinogenic TEP score were selected, the rate of visible minorities living near the most toxic NPRI facilities was significantly higher (+12.9%, t(352) = 3.5, P = 0.001) than near all other NPRI facilities. TEP scores were also used to identify areas in Toronto that face a double burden of poverty and air toxics exposure in order to prioritise pollution prevention.

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“…The net difference score is calculated using the following formula: [1] where, if i > j, X = +1; if i = j, X = 0; and if i < j, X = -1. W = Whites, B = Blacks, i is the exposure level of Blacks, and j is the exposure level of Whites.…”

Section: Net Difference Scoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite continued controversy, a consistency of results is developing from studies assessing the relationship between race, ethnicity, income, and potential exposure to environmental hazards or problems (1). In general, studies that use a geographically restrictive methodology-microarea studies comparing tracts or block groups that have one or more large users of toxic chemicals or hazardous waste facilities with tracts or block groups that have none-tend to find that race is not a significant factor in the siting of these facilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Segregation and black/white differences in exposure to air toxics in 1990.

Lopez

2002

Environ Health Perspect

115

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Environmental Justice I examined non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White differences in exposure to noncriteria air pollutants in 44 U.S. Census Bureau-defined metropolitan areas with populations greater than one million, using data on air toxics concentrations prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its Cumulative Exposure Project combined with U.S. census data. I measured differences in exposure to air toxics through the calculation of a net difference score, which is a statistical measure used in income inequality analysis to measure inequality over the whole range of exposures. The scores ranged from 11.52 to 83.60. In every metropolitan area, non-Hispanic Blacks are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be living in tracts with higher total modeled air toxics concentrations. To assess potential reasons for such a wide variation in exposure differences, I performed a multiple regression analysis with the net difference score as the dependent variable. Independent variables initially included were as follows: the dissimilarity index (to measure segregation), Black poverty/White poverty (to control for Black/White economic differences), population density and percentage of persons traveling to work who drive to work (alone and in car pools), and percentage of workforce employed in manufacturing (factors affecting air quality). After an initial analysis I eliminated from the model the measures of density and the persons driving to work because they were statistically insignificant, they did not add to

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GIS-based measures of environmental equity: Exploring their sensitivity and significance

Cited by 117 publications

References 10 publications

Traffic density in California: Socioeconomic and ethnic differences among potentially exposed children

Traffic density in California: Socioeconomic and ethnic differences among potentially exposed children

Identifying inequitable exposure to toxic air pollution in racialized and low-income neighbourhoods to support pollution prevention

Segregation and black/white differences in exposure to air toxics in 1990.

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