14 DAY TRIAL // In a paper published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE this past Tuesday, researchers with the University of Minnesota explain that, according to evidence at hand, people of color who live in the United States are exposed to higher levels of air pollution than whites living in the same country.
Specifically, the scientists maintain that, on average, people of color in the United States suffer exposure to nitrogen dioxide levels that are 38% higher than those to which whites are exposed.
On the official website for the University of Minnesota, the specialists who worked on this research project detail that the chief sources for airborne nitrogen dioxide in the United States are traffic – vehicle exhaust, to be more precise – and power plants.
They further explain that, as shown by previous studies, exposure to this chemical compound can cause people to develop asthma symptoms and heart disease. Hence, the country's Environmental Protection Agency has taken it to itself to keep a close eye on nationwide nitrogen dioxide emissions.
In order to determine whether there might be any differences between whites and nonwhites as regards exposure to this compound, the University of Minnesota first analyzed airborne concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in urban areas across the United States.
Information obtained in this manner was then compared to data concerning the makeup of the population in these urban areas. It was thus determined that, when compared to whites, nonwhites suffer more exposure to toxic air, and especially nitrogen dioxide.
“Our study provides a great baseline to track over time on important issues of environmental justive and inequality in our country,” explains study co-author Julian Marshall. “We were quite shocked to find such a large disparity between whites and nonwhites related to air pollution,” the specialist adds.
The University of Minnesota researchers estimate that, should people of color in the United States be exposed to the same levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution that whites are, this would translate into the prevention of as many as 7,000 heart disease-related deaths among nonwhites on a yearly basis.
In their paper in the journal PLOS ONE, the scientists explain that, according to their investigations, lower-income nonwhites undergo more exposure to air pollution than higher-income whites do. However, it would appear that race influences exposure to nitrogen dioxide more than income does.
They go on to detail that, when income is not factored in, the states where they documented the largest exposure gaps between nonwhites and whites are New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The urban areas with the largest exposure gaps are New York--Newark, NY--NJ--CT; Philadelphia, PA--NJ--DE--MD; Bridgeport--Stamford, CT--NY.