Community Health Impacts of Air Pollution in the U.S.

The report analyzes how the energy and transportation sectors drive air pollution in the U.S., noting that while the Clean Air Act has significantly reduced overall emissions since 1970, severe exposure disparities persist. It highlights that people of color and low-income populations are more likely to live in areas exceeding health standards, often near 'pollution hot spots' that current monitoring networks may miss. Through case studies in California, New Jersey, and Indiana, the document illustrates the specific health burdens—including asthma and cancer—borne by marginalized communities living near ports, incinerators, and coal plants.

• The Clean Air Act (CAA) has significantly lowered national pollution levels, with emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants decreasing by 78% since 1970. Between 1990 and 2022, concentrations of carbon monoxide fell by 81%, ground-level ozone by 22%, and lead by 88% from 2010. The EPA estimated that CAA amendments prevented over 230,000 early deaths in 2020.
• Despite overall improvements, air pollution exposure is distributed unevenly, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of color. Minority groups are 53% more likely and low-income populations are 49% more likely to live in areas where particulate matter levels exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Additionally, 72% of the 18 million people living in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone and particulate matter are people of color.

APA

Arab, P. (2024). Community Health Impacts of Air Pollution in the U.S. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/19170229/community-health-impacts-air-pollution.pdf

Chicago

Arab, Pargoal. Community Health Impacts of Air Pollution in the U.S. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/19170229/community-health-impacts-air-pollution.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{arab2024community, author = {Arab, Pargoal}, title = {{Community Health Impacts of Air Pollution in the U.S.}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/19170229/community-health-impacts-air-pollution.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }