Rose-Pérez Richelle
Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, Seattle, USA.
Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2015 May;17(3):337-350. doi: 10.15446/rsap.v17n3.38465.
Objective The metropolitan region in Santiago, Chile has an air quality problem. However, the larger issue may lie in the inequities created by the distribution of the air pollution. Methods To assess the inequities created by the spatial differences in air pollution, the author analyzed fine particle pollution levels for 2008-2011 at monitoring stations throughout the region. The author also compared air quality data with socioeconomic data. Results The areas of the Santiago metropolitan region with the worst air quality have lower socioeconomic levels. Pollution in these areas reaches levels higher than the current Chilean 24 hour standard for fine particles. These areas also have longer time periods of unhealthy air and 21 % more days with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Discussion The differences in exposure to pollution create an inequality and environmental injustice among the socioeconomic groups in the metropolitan region. Chilean policymakers have the regulatory tools needed to improve environmental justice. However, they need to improve the implementation of these tools in order to achieve that goal: Chilean policy makers should consider local sources of air pollution in the most polluted municipalities; Government decision makers should make extra efforts to listen to the community and improve access to environmental information; Environmental justice advocates should involve stakeholders from the social justice movement and other related areas; Policy makers should track progress towards environmental justice by evaluating differences in health outcomes related to differential exposure to air pollution in different parts of the Santiago metropolitan area.
目的 智利圣地亚哥的大都市区存在空气质量问题。然而，更大的问题可能在于空气污染分布所造成的不公平现象。方法 为评估空气污染空间差异所造成的不公平现象，作者分析了2008 - 2011年该地区各监测站的细颗粒物污染水平。作者还将空气质量数据与社会经济数据进行了比较。结果 圣地亚哥大都市区空气质量最差的地区社会经济水平较低。这些地区的污染程度高于智利目前的细颗粒物24小时标准。这些地区空气质量不健康的时段也更长，空气污染不健康水平的天数多出21%。讨论 污染暴露的差异在大都市区的社会经济群体之间造成了不平等和环境不公正。智利政策制定者拥有改善环境公正所需的监管工具。然而，他们需要改进这些工具的实施以实现这一目标：智利政策制定者应考虑污染最严重城市的本地空气污染来源；政府决策者应做出额外努力，倾听社区意见并改善环境信息获取；环境公正倡导者应让社会正义运动及其他相关领域的利益相关者参与进来；政策制定者应通过评估圣地亚哥大都市区不同区域因空气污染暴露差异而导致的健康结果差异，来跟踪环境公正方面的进展。
