Race- and ethnicity-based discrepancies in exposure to air pollution, especially regarding proximity to roadways and industrial zones, are well-established. A new study reports the first nationwide patterns in atmospheric fine particulate pollution and nitrogen dioxide exposure at U.S. public schools.
On both national and local scales, schools with more students of color and students who receive free or reduced-price lunches, a proxy for poverty, are located in areas with higher concentrations of the pollutants, the study found. The study, led by members of NASA’s Health and Air Quality Applied Science team, was published in GeoHealth, AGU’s journal for research that investigates the intersection of human and planetary health for a sustainable future.
The study analyzed the distribution of two pollutants, particulate matter of 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide, and compared pollutants to students’ racial or ethnic identity and income status. PM2.5 can cause short-term irritation and exacerbate chronic conditions such as asthma and heart disease. Nitrogen dioxide can also cause irritation and either bring about or worsen respiratory conditions. Long-term exposure to both pollutants can result in increased risk of hospitalization or death.
“School kids are a really vulnerable population,” said Michael Cheeseman, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University and lead author of the new study. “They’re really sensitive to air pollution, and they spend a lot of their time at school.”
In the U.S., children spend an average of nearly 7 hours per day at school for 180 days of the year. School-aged children are also still developing, and studies have found exposure to air pollution may hurt children’s health, including their brain development, lung health, and ability to learn, Cheeseman said.
The study used existing datasets* of student populations across the continental U.S. and satellite-derived concentrations of the pollutants from 2017 through 2019, with pollutant estimations verified by established EPA monitoring networks. One of the pollutant models explicitly accounts for nitrogen dioxide derived from traffic, which is especially relevant for low-income schools because they tend to be located near busy roadways. The pollutants reflect ambient air pollution, not air pollution inside school buildings.
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