Increasing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Ambient Air Pollution-Attributable Morbidity and Mortality in the United States.
Saved in:
| Title: | Increasing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Ambient Air Pollution-Attributable Morbidity and Mortality in the United States. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Kerr, Gaige Hunter1 gaigekerr@gwu.edu, van Donkelaar, Aaron2, Martin, Randall V.2, Brauer, Michael3,4, Bukart, Katrin3, Wozniak, Sarah3, Goldberg, Daniel L.1, Anenberg, Susan C.1 |
| Source: | Environmental Health Perspectives. Mar2024, Vol. 132 Issue 3, p037002-1-037002-12. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Air pollution, *Nitrogen compounds, *Diseases, *Environmental justice, *Particulate matter, *Public health, Asthma-related mortality, Mortality, Research funding, Institutional racism, Evaluation of medical care, Relative medical risk, Global burden of disease, Descriptive statistics, Race, Etiologic fraction, Health equity, Children |
| Geographic Terms: | United States |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) threaten public health in the US, and systemic racism has led to modern-day disparities in the distribution and associated health impacts of these pollutants. OBJECTIVES: Many studies on environmental injustices related to ambient air pollution focus only on disparities in pollutant concentrations or provide only an assessment of pollution or health disparities at a snapshot in time. In this study, we compare injustices in NO2- and PM2.5-attributable health burdens, considering NO2-attributable health impacts across the entire US; document changing disparities in these health burdens over time (2010– 2019); and evaluate how more stringent air quality standards would reduce disparities in health impacts associated with these pollutants. METHODS: Through a health impact assessment, we quantified census tract-level variations in health outcomes attributable to NO2 and PM2.5 using health impact functions that combine demographic data from the US Census Bureau; two spatially resolved pollutant datasets, which fuse satellite data with physical and statistical models; and epidemiologically derived relative risk estimates and incidence rates from the Global Burden of Disease study. RESULTS: Despite overall decreases in the public health damages associated with NO2 and PM2.5, racial and ethnic relative disparities in NO2-attributable pediatric asthma and PM2.5-attributable premature mortality have widened in the US during the last decade. Racial relative disparities in PM2.5-attributable premature mortality and NO2-attributable pediatric asthma have increased by 16% and 19%, respectively, between 2010 and 2019. Similarly, ethnic relative disparities in PM2.5-attributable premature mortality have increased by 40% and NO2-attributable pediatric asthma by 10%. DISCUSSION: Enacting and attaining more stringent air quality standards for both pollutants could preferentially benefit the most marginalized and minoritized communities by greatly reducing racial and ethnic relative disparities in pollution-attributable health burdens in the US. Our methods provide a semi-observational approach to track changes in disparities in air pollution and associated health burdens across the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Environmental Health Perspectives is the property of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | GreenFILE |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) threaten public health in the US, and systemic racism has led to modern-day disparities in the distribution and associated health impacts of these pollutants. OBJECTIVES: Many studies on environmental injustices related to ambient air pollution focus only on disparities in pollutant concentrations or provide only an assessment of pollution or health disparities at a snapshot in time. In this study, we compare injustices in NO2- and PM2.5-attributable health burdens, considering NO2-attributable health impacts across the entire US; document changing disparities in these health burdens over time (2010– 2019); and evaluate how more stringent air quality standards would reduce disparities in health impacts associated with these pollutants. METHODS: Through a health impact assessment, we quantified census tract-level variations in health outcomes attributable to NO2 and PM2.5 using health impact functions that combine demographic data from the US Census Bureau; two spatially resolved pollutant datasets, which fuse satellite data with physical and statistical models; and epidemiologically derived relative risk estimates and incidence rates from the Global Burden of Disease study. RESULTS: Despite overall decreases in the public health damages associated with NO2 and PM2.5, racial and ethnic relative disparities in NO2-attributable pediatric asthma and PM2.5-attributable premature mortality have widened in the US during the last decade. Racial relative disparities in PM2.5-attributable premature mortality and NO2-attributable pediatric asthma have increased by 16% and 19%, respectively, between 2010 and 2019. Similarly, ethnic relative disparities in PM2.5-attributable premature mortality have increased by 40% and NO2-attributable pediatric asthma by 10%. DISCUSSION: Enacting and attaining more stringent air quality standards for both pollutants could preferentially benefit the most marginalized and minoritized communities by greatly reducing racial and ethnic relative disparities in pollution-attributable health burdens in the US. Our methods provide a semi-observational approach to track changes in disparities in air pollution and associated health burdens across the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00916765 |
| DOI: | 10.1289/EHP11900 |
