An environmental justice analysis of air pollution emissions in the United States from 1970 to 2010

Yanelli Nunez (), Jaime Benavides, Jenni A. Shearston, Elena M. Krieger, Misbath Daouda, Lucas R. F. Henneman, Erin E. McDuffie, Jeff Goldsmith, Joan A. Casey and Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou
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Yanelli Nunez: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Jaime Benavides: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Jenni A. Shearston: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Elena M. Krieger: PSE Healthy Energy
Misbath Daouda: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Lucas R. F. Henneman: George Mason University
Erin E. McDuffie: Washington University in St. Louis
Jeff Goldsmith: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Joan A. Casey: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Over the last decades, air pollution emissions have decreased substantially; however, inequities in air pollution persist. We evaluate county-level racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in emissions changes from six air pollution source sectors (industry [SO2], energy [SO2, NOx], agriculture [NH3], commercial [NOx], residential [particulate organic carbon], and on-road transportation [NOx]) in the contiguous United States during the 40 years following the Clean Air Act (CAA) enactment (1970-2010). We calculate relative emission changes and examine the differential changes given county demographics using hierarchical nested models. The results show racial/ethnic disparities, particularly in the industry and energy generation source sectors. We also find that median family income is a driver of variation in relative emissions changes in all sectors—counties with median family income >$75 K vs. less generally experience larger relative declines in industry, energy, transportation, residential, and commercial-related emissions. Emissions from most air pollution source sectors have, on a national level, decreased following the United States CAA. In this work, we show that the relative reductions in emissions varied across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43492-9

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