Advancing Methods and Models that Promote Equity in Ambient Air Quality

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Environmental Justice

Background:

• Communities of color and low-income populations face disproportionate exposure to ambient air pollution in the U.S.
• This disparity stems from unjust emission source placement, systemic bias, and historical land use planning.
• Addressing these environmental inequities is crucial for advancing environmental justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review methodological innovations for characterizing and mitigating ambient air pollution inequities over the past decade.
• To provide insights for effective interventions promoting equity in air pollution exposure.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of recent advances (last 10 years) in exposure assessment, including empirical models, satellite remote sensing, mobile monitoring, and sensor networks.
• Review of techniques for source attribution of pollution, such as reduced-complexity models.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of different emission reduction strategies in eliminating disparities.

Main Results:

• New tools in exposure assessment enhance the characterization of air pollution disparities.
• Source attribution methods reveal that not all emission reduction approaches eliminate inequities.
• Spatially targeted emission reductions are identified as critical for eliminating relative disparities.

Conclusions:

• Conventional emission reduction strategies (sectoral, national standards) are unlikely to resolve existing air pollution inequities.
• Effective interventions require a focus on spatially targeted emission reductions to achieve environmental justice.
• This review offers guidance for implementing strategies that promote equitable air pollution exposure.