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Environmental Privilege

Evaluating Air Pollution in Working Class Communities


Esther Woo and Dr. Joel Burley
Saint Mary’s College of California

Introduction Table 1. Select California County Demographics


The annual maximum is greatest in less affluent counties. The
As a result of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the National Ambient R S spread of the distribution shows that less affluent counties have
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were created in order to Median A Y
Persons larger standard deviations whereas the more affluent counties
Household
regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants and protect Population In T M are clustered together at the bottom left (Figures 6A and 6B).
County Income
public health. These standards regulate PM2.5 and PM10 , ozone, (2010)
(2013-
Poverty I B
carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and lead. (Percent) N O 4A. 4B. Income inequality can be described by the power, proximity,
2017)
The Clean Air Act also includes legal and financial G L Figure 4. Monitor Distribution by Poverty Rates
and physiology principles (Hill et. Al 2019). These principles
repercussions for exceedances. show that the disparity is a result of the more affluent
FRESNO 930,450 $48,730 21.1
individuals having more power and being farther away from
Less affluent groups live shorter lives as a result of greater air KERN 839,631 $50,826 21.2 $ ● Monitoring sites were evenly distributed across affluent and environmental burdens. Additionally, segregation also drives
pollution exposure, have limited access to health care, and less affluent counties (Figures 4A), and also across regions with income inequality, which corresponds to air pollution
other wealth-based disparities (Hajat et. Al 2015 and Mikati et. YOLO 200,855 $61,621 17.5 different population densities (Figure 4B). exposure.
Al 2018). California Senate Bill 535, signed in 2012, attempts to CALAVERAS 45,578 $54,800 13.1
address these disparities by utilizing funds from the MARIPOSA 18,251 $51,385 15.2 $$ ■
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to help aid disadvantaged
communities that have been identified through the RIVERSIDE 2,189,641 $60,807 12.9 Conclusion
CalEnviroScreen 3.0 (Model 2014). CONTRA Air pollution levels have dramatically declined in California in
1,049,025 $88,456 9.1
COSTA recent decades, due to regulations imposed by the EPA and
Possible Causes for Disparities: EL DORADO 181,058 $74,885 8.3 $$$ ♦ CARB. However, the correlation between air pollution
• Race/Ethnicity • Non-native Speaker exposure and poverty is still strong. Less affluent communities
SANTA CLARA 1,781,672 $106,761 7.5 5A.
• Nationality • Income continue to be exposed to higher pollutant concentrations,
• Age • Population Density Table 2. Air Quality Index Guide resulting in more negative health impacts.
• Sex • Location of Pollutant Source Regardless of how much we regulate air pollution, it will
PM 2.5 PM 10 Ozone
• Nutrition • Ability AQI remain difficult to address this wealth-based disparity. The
AQI Category [24 hr] [24 hr] [8 hr]
• Exercise • Sexuality Value
(µg/m³) (µg/m³) (ppb) ultimate driving force is privilege, and less affluent groups will
• Access to Medical Care • Religion always have fewer choices on where to reside, and thus fewer
Good 0-50 0-12.0 0-54 0-54
(Burger et. Al 2011 , Hajat et. Al 2015, and Mikati et. Al 2018) Moderate 51-100 12.1-35.4 55-154 55-70 options for avoiding exposure to dirty air.
5B.
USG 101-150 35.5-55.4 155-254 71-85

Methods Unhealthy 151-200 55.5-150.4 255-354 86-105


Figure 5. National Exceedances from AQI Scores Acknowledgements
Very Unhealthy 201-300 150.5-250.4 355-424 106-200 I would like to thank Dr. Joel Burley for his mentorship, my
Hazardous 301-500 250.5-500.4 425-604 - colleagues Ellie Dawson and Gabe Ponce for their support, the
For the days above national standards based on AQI scores, the
residents at the Base for their inspiration, Tegan Stuart for her
clustering of more affluent counties near the x-axis shows that
encouragement, Dr. Manisha Anantharaman for her insight,
Results & Discussion there are fewer exceedances compared to the less affluent
Saint Mary’s College of California for their facilities, & Martha
counties like Fresno County (Figure 5A). The disparity has
White and Dr. Mark Lingwood for their administrative
decreased over the years (Figure 5B). The long-term decrease
support. This research was made possible through Saint Mary’s
in air pollution levels reflects the imposition of more stringent
College’s Summer Research Program, with funding from the
regulations. Despite this downward trend, disparities still
Filippi Scholarship & the Joseph P. McKenna Award.
remain between the less and more affluent counties.

Figure 1. Selected Counties Map References


Based on various demographics, counties throughout Burger, J. & Gochfeld, M. Conceptual environmental justice model for
evaluating chemical pathways of exposure in low-income, minority, Native
California were selected and grouped into trios with similar American, and other unique exposure populations. Am. J. Public Health
socioeconomic statuses (Figure 1 and Table 1). Coastal counties Figure 2. Poverty Trends in Select California Counties
101, 64–74 (2011).
were not included because they tend to have lower levels of air
Hajat, A., Hsia, C. & O’Neill, M. S. Socioeconomic Disparities and Air
pollution due to clean onshore flows from the Pacific Ocean.
6A. Pollution Exposure: a Global Review. Curr. Environ. Heal. reports 2, 440–
Data were obtained from the Small Area Income and Poverty 450 (2015).
Estimates (SAIPE), provided by the US Census Bureau and air Hill, T. D., Jorgenson, A. K., Ore, P., Balistreri, K. S. & Clark, B. Air quality
pollution data from California Air Resource Board (CARB). and life expectancy in the United States: An analysis of the moderating
CARB monitoring sites were chosen in a manner so the sites effect of income inequality. SSM - Popul. Heal. 7, 100346 (2019).
were equally distributed across monitoring areas. Mikati, I., Benson, A. F., Luben, T. J., Sacks, J. D. & Richmond-Bryant, J.
Figure 3. Poverty Threshold Trend
Disparities in distribution of particulate matter emission sources by race
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports Poverty trends are consistent across time except for the and poverty status. Am. J. Public Health 108, 480–485 (2018).
data, they typically use an arbitrary method to display to the increase after the 2008 recession (Figure 2). As the poverty 6B.
public. Table 2 shows the specific relationship between Air threshold increases every year (Figure 3), the disparity remains
Model, T. C. CalEnviroScreen: A Pathway to Contact the
Address Environmental Justice Issues in
Quality Index (AQI) and air pollutant concentrations. relatively consistent (Figure 2). Figure 6. Annual Maximums for Select Counties California. EM 26–31 (2014). Author

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