Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
Environ Res. 2022 Mar;204(Pt A):112008. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112008. Epub 2021 Sep 4.
Distributive environmental justice research on children's exposure to vehicular pollution is underdeveloped and few empirical studies have been conducted in the US. This study seeks to address this gap by examining if socially disadvantaged children are disproportionately located in public school districts burdened by higher vehicular pollution in Texas-the second largest US state based on population size. Vehicular pollution exposure is measured using two variables: (1) an index developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency that combines traffic proximity and volume; and (2) outdoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO), a widely used proxy for traffic-related air pollution. These variables are linked to school district level data on socio-demographic characteristics of children obtained from the latest American Community Survey. Statistical analysis is based on multivariable generalized estimating equations that account for spatial clustering of school districts. Results reveal significantly greater traffic proximity and NO exposure in Texas school districts with higher percentages of children, after controlling for clustering, population density, and other socio-demographic factors. Districts exposed to higher levels of traffic proximity and NO exposure also contain significantly greater proportions of racial/ethnic minority, foreign-born, disabled, and socioeconomically vulnerable children. These findings highlight the urgent need to develop mitigation strategies for reducing vehicular pollution exposure, especially in districts with higher proportions of socially disadvantaged students that could be additionally burdened with limited resources. School districts represent a policy relevant analytic unit since school district boards can act as advocates for the environmental health of children and implement mitigation strategies for reducing pollution exposure.
儿童接触机动车污染的分配性环境公正研究在美国还不够发达，几乎没有实证研究。本研究旨在通过检验社会弱势群体儿童是否不成比例地居住在德克萨斯州（按人口规模是美国第二大州）的高机动车污染公共学区，来解决这一差距。机动车污染暴露通过两个变量来衡量：（1）美国环保署开发的一个综合交通接近度和交通量的指数；（2）室外二氧化氮（NO）浓度，这是一种广泛用于衡量与交通有关的空气污染的指标。这些变量与从最新的美国社区调查中获得的儿童社会人口特征的学区级别数据相关联。统计分析基于多变量广义估计方程，该方程考虑了学区的空间聚类。结果表明，在控制聚类、人口密度和其他社会人口因素后，德克萨斯州的学校学区中，儿童比例较高的学区交通接近度和 NO 暴露显著增加。接触更高交通接近度和 NO 暴露水平的学区也包含了更大比例的少数族裔、外国出生、残疾和社会经济弱势群体儿童。这些发现强调了迫切需要制定缓解策略来减少机动车污染暴露，特别是在社会弱势群体学生比例较高的地区，这些地区可能会额外受到资源有限的负担。学区代表了一个具有政策相关性的分析单位，因为学区董事会可以作为儿童环境健康的倡导者，并实施减少污染暴露的缓解策略。
