Multiple aspects of structural racism may contribute to an increased exposure to carcinogenic traffic-related air pollution, according to a recent study published by White and Ekenga in Cancer.
Background
High levels of traffic-related air pollutants have been linked to an elevated risk of developing cancer and other diseases.
Structural racism refers to the ways in which societal laws, policies, and practices systematically disadvantage certain racial and ethnic groups—and encompasses factors such as residential segregation and differences in economic status and home ownership. Previous studies suggesting that structural racism may influence neighborhood exposure to air pollutants have focused on residential racial segregation, which is just one indicator of structural racism.
Study Methods and Results
In the recent study, investigators developed a comprehensive measure of structural racism—with the goal of uncovering its relationship with the risk of air pollutant–related cancers in 134 counties in Georgia.
They obtained carcinogenic air toxin data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and sociodemographic data from the American Community Survey. The investigators then used county-level data on residential segregation, education, employment, incarceration, economic status, political participation, and home ownership to create a multidimensional county-level structural racism index.
The investigators found that these multiple domains of racial inequalities may have different influences on exposure to traffic-related air pollutants. For instance, limited educational resources and job opportunities can restrict an individual’s ability to relocate to less polluted areas. Further, poor political representation may result in insufficient policy measures to mitigate traffic-related air pollution as well as inadequate investments in public transportation, which can lead to higher community dependence on private vehicles.
The investigators also revealed a significant association between multidimensional structural racism and exposure to carcinogenic traffic-related air pollutants. Individuals residing in neighborhoods in the highest quartile of structural racism had a 7.8 times higher estimated risk of developing cancer from traffic-related air pollutants than did those residing in neighborhoods with low structural racism.
Conclusions
The findings indicated that neighborhood racial disparities in exposure to traffic-related air pollution in Georgia may be explained, in part, by variations in county-level structural racism.
“By highlighting the link between structural inequalities and environmental health risks, our study underscores the importance of addressing social and systemic issues to improve public health outcomes,” underlined senior study author Christine C. Ekenga, PhD, MPH, of Emory University. “This study can inform policymakers about the need for targeted interventions to reduce exposure to traffic-related air pollutants,” she concluded.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
