Vehicular Air Pollution in Houston, Texas: An Intra-Categorical Analysis of Environmental Injustice

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Jayajit Chakraborty¹  MichelG. Loustaunau² 

[1] Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;;Department of Sociology &

关键词: environmental justice;    air pollution;    cancer risk;    transportation;    Houston;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph16162968

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This article contributes to distributive environmental justice (EJ) research on air pollution by analyzing racial/ethnic and related intra-categorical disparities in health risk from exposure to on-road hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in Harris County, Texas. Previous studies in this urban area have not examined intra-ethnic heterogeneity in EJ outcomes or disproportionate exposure to vehicular pollutants. Our goal was to determine how the EJ implications of cancer risk from exposure to on-road HAP sources differ across and within each major racial/ethnic group (Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites), based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (2011) and American Community Survey (2009−2013). Statistical analyses are based on generalized estimating equations which account for clustering of analytic units. Results indicated that Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks are exposed to significantly higher cancer risk than non-Hispanic Whites. When each racial/ethnic group was disaggregated based on contextually relevant characteristics, individuals who are in poverty, foreign-born, renters, and have limited English proficiency are found to be disproportionately located in areas exposed to significantly higher cancer risk, regardless of their major racial/ethnic designation. Our findings underscore the need to conduct intra-categorical EJ analysis for uncovering inequalities that get concealed when broadly defined racial/ethnic categories are used.

【 授权许可】

Unknown