Segregation in US linked with pollution toxicity

Abstract

Exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ) is a leading cause of death and disease around the world . In the US, race and ethnicity are associated with disparities in people’s exposures. Now, researchers have shown that these disparities are tied not just to demographic differences but to racial segregation. Non-Hispanic Black people living in the most highly segregated places are exposed to more total air pollution than non-Hispanic White people in nearby neighborhoods. What’s more, the PM 2.5 they breathe contains 10 times the concentrations of toxic and carcinogenic metals, including lead ( Nat. Commun. 2022, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33372-z ). Due to a history of racist laws and housing development practices, many US cities are segregated. Highways and factories that produce air pollution are more likely to be located in predominantly Black neighborhoods , says Colorado State University engineer John K. Kodros. He and his team drew on