Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos

The report details how Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to air pollution, with 71 percent living in counties violating federal air quality standards as of 2002. It identifies specific health risks including asthma, stunted lung growth, and low birth weight, exacerbated by poverty and lack of health insurance. The document also notes risks from mercury contamination in fish and the potential for global warming to induce crop failures and famines. Finally, it argues that the EPA has failed to implement Executive Order 12898 because it has not identified impacted populations or developed criteria for determining disproportionate risk.

• Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to air pollution compared to the general U.S. population; while 55 percent of the total population lives in areas with unhealthy ozone or particle pollution, 71 percent of Hispanics lived in counties violating federal air pollution standards for one or more pollutants in 2002.
• Specific pollutants cause severe health issues for Latino communities, including asthma attacks, breathing problems, and low birth weight. Approximately 35 percent of Hispanics (over 13.5 million) live in areas violating particulate matter standards, and 50 percent (over 19 million) live in areas violating ozone standards.
• Economic factors and systemic barriers increase the vulnerability of Hispanic families to pollution. High poverty rates limit housing choices, and approximately 52 percent of Hispanics under 65 lack health insurance, representing one-quarter of the 74 million uninsured people in the U.S.
• Mercury and other toxins in water pose a significant threat because Latino anglers often consume fish more frequently than white consumers but are less likely to be aware of fish consumption advisories.
• The EPA has failed to fulfill the goals of Executive Order 12898 regarding environmental justice for minority and low-income populations because it has not established the necessary criteria or identified the affected populations.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2004). Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos. https://www.catf.us/resource/air-of-injustice-how-air-pollution-affects-the-health-of-hispanics-and-latinos/

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos. 2004. https://www.catf.us/resource/air-of-injustice-how-air-pollution-affects-the-health-of-hispanics-and-latinos/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos |date=1 July 2004 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/air-of-injustice-how-air-pollution-affects-the-health-of-hispanics-and-latinos/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2004air, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Air of Injustice: How Air Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2004}, month = jul, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/air-of-injustice-how-air-pollution-affects-the-health-of-hispanics-and-latinos/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }