Environmental justice analysis of wildfire-related PM_2.5 exposure using low-cost sensors in California

The increasing number and severity of wildfires is negatively impacting air quality for millions of California residents each year. Community exposure to PM_2.5 in two main population centers (San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles County area) was assessed using the low-cost PurpleAir sensor network for the record-setting 2020 California wildfire season. Estimated PM_2.5 concentrations in each study area were compared to census tract-level environmental justice vulnerability indicators, including environmental, health, and demographic data. Higher PM_2.5 concentrations were positively correlated with poverty, cardiovascular emergency department visits, and housing inequities. Sensors within 30 km of actively burning wildfires showed statistically significant increases in indoor (~800 %) and outdoor (~540 %) PM_2.5 during the fires. Results indicate that wildfire emissions may exacerbate existing health disparities as well as the burden of pollution in disadvantaged communities, suggesting a need to improve monitoring and adaptive capacity among vulnerable populations.