Disparities in exposure to automobile and truck traffic and vehicle emissions near the Los Angeles-long beach port complex

D. Houston, W. Li and JunJie Wu

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 1, 156-164

Abstract: Objectives: We assessed how traffic and mobile-source air pollution impacts are distributed across racial/ethnic and socioeconomically diverse groups in port-adjacent communities in southern Los Angeles County, which may experience divergent levels of exposure to port-related heavy-duty diesel truck traffic because of existing residential and land use patterns. Methods: We used spatial regression techniques to assess the association of neighborhood racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition with residential parcel-level traffic and vehicle-related fine particulate matter exposure after accounting for built environment and land use factors. Results: After controlling for factors associated with traffic generation, we found that a higher percentage of nearby Black and Asian/Pacific Islander residents was associated with higher exposure, a higher percentage of Hispanic residents was associated with higher traffic exposure but lower vehicle particulate matter exposure, and areas with lower socioeconomic status experienced lower exposure. Conclusions: Disparities in traffic and vehicle particulate matter exposure are nuanced depending on the exposure metric used, the distribution of the traffic and emissions, and pollutant dispersal patterns. Future comparative research is needed to assess potential disparities in other transportation and goods movement corridors.

Keywords: exhaust gas, analysis; ancestry group; car; demography; environmental exposure; environmental monitoring; exhaust gas; female; human; male; motor vehicle; population density; procedures; risk factor; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; United States; article; environmental exposure; environmental monitoring; exhaust gas; methodology; race; statistics, Automobiles; Continental Population Groups; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Humans; Los Angeles; Male; Motor Vehicles; Population Density; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Vehicle Emissions, Automobiles; Continental Population Groups; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Humans; Los Angeles; Male; Motor Vehicles; Population Density; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Vehicle Emissions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301120_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301120

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