Environmental Injustice: Pollution Higher in Poor, Minority Communities

Researchers from the University of Minnesota have uncovered a pattern of "environmental injustice," suggesting that minorities may be disproportionately exposed to areas near toxic waste, landfills and other pollutants.

"The biggest finding is that we have this national picture of environmental injustice and how it varies by state and by city," said study author Julian Marshall, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Minnesota, via The Washington Post Blog. "The levels of disparity that we see here are large and likely have health implications."

Researchers first analyzed NO2 levels primarily in urban areas across the country and looked at cities with "non-white" or "white" areas defined via the U.S. census.

As Nitrogen dioxide is emitted from vehicle exhaust and power plants, those living in areas of higher pollution may be at a greater risk of asthma and certain cardiovascular issues.

Researchers discovered that Nitrogen dioxide levels were responsible for close to 7,000 heart-related deaths.

"We were quite shocked to find such a large disparity between whites and nonwhites related to air pollution," Marshall said, via a press release. "Our study provides a great baseline to track over time on important issues of environmental injustice and inequality in our country."

As this was the first study to observe countrywide differences in air pollution exposure, findings showed that Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania hold the largest exposure gaps between whites and non-whites.

"Our findings are of broad interest to researchers, policy makers and city planners," said Lara Clark, co-author of the study and civil engineering Ph.D. student in the College of Science and Engineering, via the release. "The next step in the research would be to look at why this disparity occurs and what we can do to solve it.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal PLOS ONE.