2026-09-21T01:45:19Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1518502023-08-24T03:32:03Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Selin, Noelle Eckley
Chen, Christina
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
2023-08-23T16:13:25Z
2023-08-23T16:13:25Z
2023-06
2023-07-17T15:19:18.841Z
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/151850
In the United States (U.S.), exposure to ambient ππβ.β
β fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameterβ is responsible for the largest share of premature deaths associated with air pollution. Despite declines in average annual concentrations, significant disparities in ππβ.β
exposure between racial and ethnic groups continue to persist. Existing research characterize ππβ.β
exposure disparities across a range of different indicators, but few studies compare these metrics against one another nor do these studies explore these metrics at different geographic scales and demographic shifts over time. As policy makers begin to prioritize environmental justice concerns through the identification of disproportionately impacted communities, careful selection of indicators and metrics will be vital for ensuring that inequities are properly captured in decision making processes.
Using population demographics from the U.S. Census and land-use regression ππβ.β
concentration estimates from the Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions (CACES), we compare the calculations of absolute and relative exposure disparities at different geographic scales and changing demographic shifts. Further, we discuss the policy implications of our findings and provide recommendations for both regulatory and community centered measures to address existing racial/ethnic disparities.
S.M.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Copyright retained by author(s)
https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/
Inequities in Air Pollution Exposure in the U.S.: An
Exploration of Disparity Metrics Across Geographic
and Temporal Scales
Thesis
application/pdf
Master
Master of Science in Technology and Policy
Publication
unknown
unknown
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<Title>Inequities in Air Pollution Exposure in the U.S.: An
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<Abstract>In the United States (U.S.), exposure to ambient ππβ.β
β fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameterβ is responsible for the largest share of premature deaths associated with air pollution. Despite declines in average annual concentrations, significant disparities in ππβ.β
exposure between racial and ethnic groups continue to persist. Existing research characterize ππβ.β
exposure disparities across a range of different indicators, but few studies compare these metrics against one another nor do these studies explore these metrics at different geographic scales and demographic shifts over time. As policy makers begin to prioritize environmental justice concerns through the identification of disproportionately impacted communities, careful selection of indicators and metrics will be vital for ensuring that inequities are properly captured in decision making processes.
Using population demographics from the U.S. Census and land-use regression ππβ.β
concentration estimates from the Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions (CACES), we compare the calculations of absolute and relative exposure disparities at different geographic scales and changing demographic shifts. Further, we discuss the policy implications of our findings and provide recommendations for both regulatory and community centered measures to address existing racial/ethnic disparities.</Abstract>
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