environmental injustice: nitrogen oxide concentrations within the united states by chukwuemelie...

8/19/2019 Environmental Injustice: Nitrogen Oxide Concentrations within the United States by Chukwuemelie Onwubuya & Oluwole Ariyo, Ph.D.

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Chukwuemelie Onwubuya

& Oluwole Ariyo, Ph.D.

National Environmental Justice Conference, Inc.

Washington, DC

March 10, 01!

"n#ironmental $n%ustice

'itrogen O(i)e

Concentrations within the *nite) +tates


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∗ Nitrogen gas, normally relatively inert (unreactive), comprises

about 80% of te air.

∗ !t ig temperatures an" un"er certain oter con"itions it can

combine #it o$ygen in te air, forming several "ifferent

gaseous compoun"s collectively calle" nitrogen o$i"es (N$).

Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are the

two

most prevalent compounds found.

©2016 !llen "niversit#. !ll rights reserved

Intro"uction


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∗ ! family of igly reactive gases calle" nitrogen o$i"es (N$)

inclu"es Nitrogen "io$i"e (E&!, '0).

∗ *ese gases are forme" #en fuel is burne" at ig temp.

∗ +ources i. motor veicle e$aust an"

ii. stationary sources electric utilities an" in"ustrialboilers.

∗ Nitrogen "io$i"e (bro#nis gas) is a strong o$i"i-ing agent tat

reacts in te air to form corrosive nitric aci", an" to$ic

organicnitrates (E&!, '0).


$ntroduction continues


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∗

n"er te Clean !ir !ct, E&! establises air /ualitystan"ar"sto protect public ealt an" te environment.

∗ E&! as set national air /uality stan"ar"s for si$ common airpollutants. *ese inclu"e

∗ carbon mono$i"e,

∗ o-one,

∗ lea",

∗ nitrogen )io(i)e,

∗ particulate matter (also no#n as particle pollution), an"

∗ sulfur "io$i"e.


Intro"uction continues


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1rop in !ir pollutants (2803'04)

Clark et al., 01-


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∗ N' is often amongst te least pollutants un"erconsi"eration

∗ 5o#ever, it can irritate te lungs an" lo#er resistance to

respiratory infections suc as influen-a.


Nitrogen $i"e


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In 28', 6arren County, a community #it te igest

percentage (84%) of blac resi"ents, #as cosen to ost a

lan"fill tat contaminate" soil #it polyclorinate" bipenyls

(&C7s). .

E$perts argue" tat location of te lan"fill in ma"e no scientificsense as te #ater table #as only five to ten feet belo# te

surface, an" area resi"ents relie" on local #ells for teir

"rining #ater.

1espite te efforts of un"re"s of protesters, te &C7 pollute"

soil #as place" in te lan"fills


5a-ar"ous #aste lan"fill in6arren County, Nort Carolina


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9/25

N' concentrations are 8% iger for non#ites tan

for #ites across te nationEnvironmental Ine/uality

Income Ine/uality



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!ppro$imately 9: million people nation#i"e live" in

counties #it pollution levels above te primary N!!;+(National !mbient !ir +tan"ar"s) in '04.



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∗ >ung irritation

∗ >ung "amage

∗

Increase" respiratory "isease∗ ?orms smog

∗ ?ormation of !ci"


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∗1ata presente" is base" on year3'000 population of te

contiguous +, #ic is about '80million.

∗!ir pollution "ata are year3'00 annual average groun"3

level N' concentration estimates from te

publise" National satellite base" lan"

use regression N' in te nite"

+tates.

∗Nationally, te mean N' concentration for all 7lac

Aroups is .4

ppb(Clar et al., '04).


Current *ren"s


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/able 1. Comarisons etween Poulation2Weighte) Mean 'O Concentrations 3or +eci3ic Poulations



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∗+everal ealt "isparities in N'

Concentrations.∗!verage N' concentrations for Non#ites are

4.ppb iger tan #ites.

∗

*e results also "emonstrate tat te averageN' concentrations for lo# income non#ites is

':% iger tan ig3income #ites.



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∗ ?urtermore, tose belo# te poverty line are

e$pose" to 0% more N' tan tose above te

poverty line.∗ Boreover, Non#ite cil"ren belo# te poverty

level are e$pose" to '% more concentrations of

N' versustose from !ge 9 3 9 an" Non#ite el"erly are

e$pose" to

'4% more concentrations versus tose in te agegroup 9 9.



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4igure . "n#ironmental $n%ustice an) $ne5uality in 6esi)ential Out)oor 'O Concentrations 3or *+6egions, +tates, Counties an) *rban Areas Clark et al., 01-


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∗*e primary comparison metric for environmental

ine/uality use" to measure te e$tent to #ic

N' concentrations are evenly "istribute" across tepopulation.

∗!n !tinson in"e$ of -ero in"icates perfect e/uality

an" a iger in"e$ in"icates greater ine/uality(#ere te ma$imum D ).

∗?igure '. so#s tat Ne# or, Bicigan, an"

6isconsin are te states #it te igest levels of

environmental inFustice an" ine/uality.



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∗ *e results call for furter stu"ies into in"ivi"ual regions,

especially in areas lie Ne# or, Bicigan, an" 6isconsin,#ic ave so#n te igest level of environmental inFustice.

∗ ?urtermore, tese fin"ings call for a closer inspection of

policies an" a para"igm sift in researc focusing on resolving

suc critical issues in te society.

∗ rban variation in air pollution (Columbia, +C G environment) #ill be

furter investigate"


%uture &esearch


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∗Intra3urban variation as been reporte" to be more tan inter3urban variation (Boore et al., !+*, '00)

∗&ro$imity to roa"#ays an" oter local sources "etermines

concentrations of pollutants ((Harner et al., E+G*, '00)∗+ocio3"emograpic factors (class, raceetnicity, income) often

"rive pro$imity resulting in "isparities in e$posure an" resultingoutcomes (=Neill et al., J*o$Env5lt, '00)


?uture


22/25

"n#ironmental 7ustice Program y "PA"n#ironmental

Protection Agency∗&ublic &articipation in ?acility +itting an" &ermitting

∗Banagement !ccountability

∗utreac an" &artnersips

∗*ecnical !ssistance an" *raining

∗Interaction bet#een &rofessionals an" te Community about

suc issues

∗

+tronger Implementation of pollution prevention policies∗?ocus on Compreensive policies to era"icate poverty


'roposed olutions


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7ryant, 7unyan I. 229. Environmental Justice Issues, &olicies, an"

+olutions . 6asington, 1.C. Islan", 229. &rint.Clar, >ara &., 1ylan 7. Billet, an" Julian 1. Barsall. '04. National

&atterns in Environmental InFustice an" Ine/uality ut"oor N'

!ir &ollution in te nite" +tates. &los %ne. 6eb.

E&! (Environmental &rotection !gency). '0. !ir*ren"s 29+ummary. ttp###.epa.govairtren"sa/trn"29no'.tml

Bassey,


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No, !nne H. 22. Environmental Justice Concentration on

E"ucation an" &ublic &articipation as an !lternative

+olution to >egislation. 6illiam G Bary Environmental

>a# an" &olicy


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environmental injustice: nitrogen oxide concentrations within the united states by chukwuemelie...

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