Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Aug 18;16(16):2968. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16162968.
This article contributes to distributive environmental justice (EJ) research on air pollution by analyzing racial/ethnic and related intra-categorical disparities in health risk from exposure to on-road hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in Harris County, Texas. Previous studies in this urban area have not examined intra-ethnic heterogeneity in EJ outcomes or disproportionate exposure to vehicular pollutants. Our goal was to determine how the EJ implications of cancer risk from exposure to on-road HAP sources differ across and within each major racial/ethnic group (Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites), based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency's National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (2011) and American Community Survey (2009-2013). Statistical analyses are based on generalized estimating equations which account for clustering of analytic units. Results indicated that Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks are exposed to significantly higher cancer risk than non-Hispanic Whites. When each racial/ethnic group was disaggregated based on contextually relevant characteristics, individuals who are in poverty, foreign-born, renters, and have limited English proficiency are found to be disproportionately located in areas exposed to significantly higher cancer risk, regardless of their major racial/ethnic designation. Our findings underscore the need to conduct intra-categorical EJ analysis for uncovering inequalities that get concealed when broadly defined racial/ethnic categories are used.
本文通过分析德克萨斯州哈里斯县（Harris County）道路危险空气污染物（HAP）暴露导致的健康风险在种族/族裔和相关类别内的差异，为分散式环境公正（EJ）研究在空气污染方面做出了贡献。在这个城市地区，之前的研究没有检查 EJ 结果的族内异质性或对车辆污染物的不成比例暴露。我们的目标是根据美国环境保护署（EPA）的国家范围空气毒物评估（2011 年）和美国社区调查（2009-2013 年）的数据，确定暴露于道路 HAP 源的癌症风险的 EJ 含义在每个主要种族/族裔群体（西班牙裔、非西班牙裔黑人和非西班牙裔白人）之间和内部有何不同。统计分析基于广义估计方程，这些方程考虑了分析单位的聚类。结果表明，西班牙裔和非西班牙裔黑人接触的癌症风险明显高于非西班牙裔白人。当根据相关背景特征对每个种族/族裔群体进行细分时，无论其主要种族/族裔类别如何，发现处于贫困、外国出生、租房者和英语水平有限的个体不成比例地居住在接触癌症风险显著更高的地区。我们的研究结果强调需要进行类别内的 EJ 分析，以揭示在使用广泛定义的种族/族裔类别时隐藏的不平等现象。
