Correlation between air pollution and socio-economic factors in Los Angeles County

Abstract

The correlation between air pollution dosage and socio-economic group is analyzed for Los Angeles County. Census derived socio-economic data are aggregated to 31 statistical areas. Nine general socio-economic variables are used : age, time of moves, transportation, schooling, employment, income, rent, housing value and race, each subdivided into several categories, for a total of 37 categories. The air pollution dosage experienced by each of these 37 categories is computed, and the degree of correlation of dosage with each of the nine socio-economic variables is determined by analyzing the pattern of the dosages among the categories for that variable. Even though the air pollution and socio-economic variables have widely ranging spatial patterns, there is no strong correlation between the air pollution and socio-economic patterns. Weak correlations are observed in the following cases : (i) blacks breathe on the average better air as measured either in terms of oxidant level or a combined pollutant measure and (ii) by the combined measure air quality improves slightly (so slightly as to perhaps be insignificant) with education, recentness of move, income, rental level and housing value.