Residential Proximity to Industrial Sources of Air Pollution: Interrelationships among Race, Poverty, and Age

Perlin, Susan A.; Wong, David W. S.; Sexton, Ken

doi:10.1080/10473289.2001.10464271

Cited by 149 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Since block group traffic density is related to vehicle emissions and was moderately correlated with the ambient concentrations of several vehicle-related pollutants, children living in these areas have higher potential for exposure. Other studies in the US have found that low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are more likely to be located near sources of pollution (Perlin et al, 1995;Korc, 1996;Neumann et al, 1998;Perlin et al, 1999Perlin et al, , 2001Morello-Frosch et al, 2002). Our results, from a large and heterogeneous state, provide further evidence that low-income and people of color are more likely to live near sources of toxic emissions, in this case freeways and major roads.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…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). A census tract level analysis in three parts of the US observed that African Americans and those living below the poverty level were more likely to live closer to the nearest industrial facility and to live near multiple facilities (Perlin et al, 1999(Perlin et al, , 2001. A similar evaluation conducted in Oregon found that industrial facilities were disproportionately located in minority and low-income neighborhoods, but there was no relation between hazard ranking and overall socioeconomic status (SES) of the community (Neumann et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Gunier

Hertz

Behren

et al. 2003

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

189

135

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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: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

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

189

135

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Such conditions are more common in housing inhabited by low-income people and people of color. A strong parallel thus exists between exposure to indoor asthma triggers and the differential exposure of vulnerable populations to hazards in the outdoor environment (e.g., toxic wastes)-a hallmark of environmental racism (57)(58)(59).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Seattle-King County healthy homes project: implementation of a comprehensive approach to improving indoor environmental quality for low-income children with asthma.

Krieger

Takaro

Allen

et al. 2002

Environ Health Perspect

127

102

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Pediatric asthma is a growing public health issue, disproportionately affecting low-income people and people of color. Exposure to indoor asthma triggers plays an important role in the development and exacerbation of asthma. We describe the implementation of the Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project, a randomized, controlled trial of an outreach/education intervention to improve asthma-related health status by reducing exposure to allergens and irritants in the home. We randomly assigned 274 low-income children with asthma ages 4-12 to either a high- or a low-intensity group. In the high-intensity group, community health workers called Community Home Environmental Specialists (CHES) conducted initial home environmental assessments, provided individualized action plans, and made additional visits over a 12-month period to provide education and social support, encouragement of participant actions, provision of materials to reduce exposures (including bedding encasements), assistance with roach and rodent eradication, and advocacy for improved housing conditions. Members of the low-intensity group received the initial assessment, home action plan, limited education during the assessment visit, and bedding encasements. We describe the recruitment and training of CHES and challenges they faced and explain the assessment and exposure reduction protocols addressing dust mites, mold, tobacco smoke, pets, cockroaches, rodents, dust, moisture, and toxic or hazardous chemicals. We also discuss the gap between the practices recommended in the literature and what is feasible in the home. We accomplished home interventions and participants found the project very useful. The project was limited in resolving structural housing quality issues that contributed to exposure to indoor triggers.

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“…Studies suggest that certain populations of color, particularly African Americans, are more likely to live in areas with a higher density of particular sources of pollution, such as major industrial sources (Perlin et al 1999(Perlin et al , 2001 and waste-generating facilities (Anderton and Anderson 1994;Perlin et al 2001). These studies assess whether people of different race/ethnic groups have different exposures, defined as living near particular sources.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Disparities in exposure to air pollution during pregnancy.

Woodruff

Parker

Kyle

et al. 2003

Environ Health Perspect

172

120

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Previous research shows poorer birth outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities and for persons with low socioeconomic status (SES). We evaluated whether mothers in groups at higher risk for poor birth outcomes live in areas of higher air pollution and whether higher exposure to air pollution contributes to poor birth outcomes. An index representing long-term exposure to criteria air pollutants was matched with birth certificate data at the county level for the United States in 1998-1999. We used linear regression to estimate associations between the air pollution index and maternal race and educational attainment, a marker for SES of the mother, controlling for age, parity, marital status, and region of the country. Then we used logistic regression models both to estimate likelihood of living in counties with the highest levels of air pollution for different racial groups and by educational attainment, adjusting for other maternal risk factors, and to estimate the effect of living in counties with higher levels of air pollution on preterm delivery and births small for gestational age (SGA). Hispanic, African-American, and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers experienced higher mean levels of air pollution and were more than twice as likely to live in the most polluted counties compared with white mothers after controlling for maternal risk factors, region, and educational status [Hispanic mothers: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.66; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.92-11.32; African-American mothers: AOR = 2.58; 95% CI, 1.00-6.62; Asian/Pacific Islander mothers: AOR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.07-7.39]. Educational attainment was not associated with living in counties with highest levels of the air pollution index (AOR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.40-2.26) after adjusting for maternal risk factors, region of the country, and race/ethnicity. There was a small increase in the odds of preterm delivery (AOR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.99-1.12) but not SGA (AOR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.86-1.07) in a county with high air pollution. Additional risk of residing in areas with poor air quality may exacerbate health problems of infants and children already at increased risk for poor health.

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Residential Proximity to Industrial Sources of Air Pollution: Interrelationships among Race, Poverty, and Age

Abstract: This study builds on earlier work investigating statistical relationships between sociodemographic characteristics of populations and their residential proximity to indus-

Cited by 149 publications

References 20 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

The Seattle-King County healthy homes project: implementation of a comprehensive approach to improving indoor environmental quality for low-income children with asthma.

Disparities in exposure to air pollution during pregnancy.

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