Article written by: Kennedy Bateman
While the air belongs to everyone, its quality doesn’t. Minorities and low-income communities bear the heaviest burden of pollution, often paying the price with their health. Studies show that people in these communities are disproportionately affected by pollution, particularly those who live in low-income and minority neighborhoods.
Air quality in many parts of the United States is poor, primarily due to high levels of particulate matter, specifically PM2.5, a harmful air pollutant linked to lung diseases and heart conditions after prolonged exposure. Particulate matter can have serious health effects when inhaled. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, leading to a range of short and long-term health issues. These include asthma, lung infections, lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
There are many causes of particulate matter. Industrial processes like factories, and power plants, residential heating like burning wood, and coal, and wildfires all release particulate matter into the air. However, the most significant contributor is vehicle emissions. Exhaust from cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles is a major source of particulate matter, particularly in urban areas. Despite common speculation that diesel fuel burns cleaner, in reality diesel engines are especially harmful, emitting a higher concentration of fine particles.
The health impact of air pollution is greater for those living in areas with poor air quality. Residents of low-income neighborhoods are often more vulnerable due to their proximity to pollution sources like factories, major roadways, and ports with diesel truck activity. Unfortunately residential areas next to freeways or factories are much more affordable compared to areas with better air quality, and sometimes the only place individuals can live. This leads to many lower-income residents being systematically caught in a cycle of injustice, fueled by the government’s failure to take meaningful action.
While legislation has reduced PM2.5 levels by more than 40% since 2000, environmental regulations remain weakly enforced in low-income areas. In recent years, the gap in PM2.5 exposure across income groups has only widened over the past decade. A study reveals that Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and Latinos, as well as low-income populations, are consistently exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 compared to whites and higher-income groups (Jbaily et al., 2022). This finding is both alarming and deeply revealing of a broader national pattern of air quality injustice. It underscores how marginalized communities, particularly people of color and low-income residents, continue to bear a disproportionate burden of pollution—exposing them to harmful health effects while receiving inadequate protection from regulatory measures. This persistent disparity highlights the urgent need for more equitable environmental policies and enforcement across all demographics.
Addressing air quality injustice is not just about improving public health—it’s about creating a cleaner, more sustainable world for everyone. We must work to mitigate the causes of particulate matter and other pollutants to reduce their impact on our environment and future generations. At the same time, we need to ensure that the harmful effects of air pollution are shared fairly across all communities, regardless of race or income. Environmental injustice cannot persist if we are to create a more equitable world for everyone.
It is crucial for the government to step in and enact policies that address these systematic disparities. Incentivizing electric vehicles rather than gasoline powered vehicles as well as putting more money into creating charging infrastructure to support those electric vehicles is an excellent way to reduce the emissions of particulate matter in our atmosphere and help air quality in areas next to roads/freeways. Only through effective, well-enforced regulations can we ensure that vulnerable communities are protected from the disproportionate burden of pollution. The government holds the power to make significant change, using its tools to rectify long standing inequities and improve air quality in underserved areas. Without action at the governmental level, minority and low-income communities will continue to be trapped in cycles of environmental harm. It’s essential to make educated financial/political decisions that benefit the environment and uplift vulnerable communities.
The time to act is now—if we don’t confront environmental injustice, we risk perpetuating a system that harms the most vulnerable, all while stalling progress toward a healthier planet. Our future depends on it.