people of color live in neighborhoods with more air pollution than whites

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 15-Apr-2014

Contact: Rhonda Zurn
University of Minnesota

Groundbreaking nationwide study finds that people of color live in neighborhoods with more air pollution than whites

Gap results in an estimated 7,000 deaths each year among people of color from heart disease alone

A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the University of Minnesota found that on average nationally, people of color are exposed to 38 percent higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) outdoor air pollution compared to white people.

Nitrogen dioxide comes from sources like vehicle exhaust and power plants. Breathing NO2 is linked to asthma symptoms and heart disease.

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The health impacts from the difference in levels between whites and nonwhites found in the study are substantial. For example, researchers estimate that if nonwhites breathed the lower NO2 levels experienced by whites, it would prevent 7,000 deaths from heart disease alone among nonwhites each year.

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The researchers found that in most areas, lower-income nonwhites are more exposed than higher-income whites, and on average, race matters more than income in explaining differences in NO2 exposure. They also found that New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois had the largest exposure gaps between whites and nonwhites, irrespective of income.

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