Abstract
This research paper identifies and characterizes areas in the City of Toronto that may be impacted by facilities that emit air pollutants. The impacted areas were isolated using a combination of K-Means cluster analysis and kernel density estimation to determine whether disparity in socio-economic status can be correlated with the location of these facilities. Dissemination Area (DA) level data from the 2006 Canadian Census were evaluated against pollution data provided by Environment Canada’s 2006 National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) database. A total of 67 socio-economic variables from the 2006 Statistics Canada census were analysed. The City of Toronto’s 3,577 DAs were assigned to one of two cluster groups: Underprivileged Areas, or Areas of Affluence. The DAs represented by the two cluster groups were then analyzed alongside the NPRI pollution data, which had been developed into generalized concentration ranges using a 5km search radius. Although the Areas of Affluence cluster contains 15% more facilities (141) than the Underprivileged Areas (104), the latter are generally impacted by higher concentrations of a more diverse range of pollution. For example, a larger percent of Toronto residents living in Underprivileged Areas are exposed to the highest concentrations of total emissions, heavy metals, miscellaneous compounds, and non-carcinogenic emissions when compared to the population of DAs designated as Areas of Affluence. Conversely, a larger percent of residents living in Areas of Affluence are generally exposed to the highest concentrations of volatile organic compounds and carcinogenic emissions. The findings suggest an environmental justice concern, with respect to industrial air pollution within the City of Toronto.
Highlights
IntroductionThe complex relationship between socio-economic status and pollution has been studied in many cities throughout the world by environmental researchers during the past number of decades
The purpose of this study is to examine the social and economic characteristics of Toronto Dissemination Area (DA) that were affected by the emissions from National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) monitored facilities in 2006, and determine whether specific demographics are more greatly impacted by specific types of pollutants
Cluster centre values that are shaded as dark grey represent variables that have the most prominent cluster centres in order to indicate what variables have the greatest impact in defining the nature of the cluster group
Summary
The complex relationship between socio-economic status and pollution has been studied in many cities throughout the world by environmental researchers during the past number of decades. Air pollution in the City of Toronto has been linked in recent years to high morbidity rates that are often associated with this phenomenon (Kantor et al, 2010). A technical report published for Toronto Public Health “estimate[s] that approximately 1,700 premature deaths each year, and between 3,000 and 6,000 hospital admissions are associated with the criteria pollutants O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and PM10” (Pengelly and Sommerfreund, 2004, p.17). Additional research is needed to help better understand the intricacies of the social and economic conditions in Toronto and how these variables relate to air pollution
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