Pollution exposure is not equally distributed.
First, we should define “inequity”. An inequity is a difference in either resources or outcomes between population groups due to social factors such as your zipcode, your income level, your gender, your sexual orientation, your age, your ethnicity, and your race. These social factors are the social determinants of health, which impact your health due to factors that go beyond your behaviors by controlling what choices you can make, what resources you have access to, and what toxins and how much you are exposed to.
In this section, we will be talking about the social factors of your race, ethnicity, and income level and how these impact your exposure to air pollution.
Redlining has been illegal for almost 50 years, but the ripple effects of the practice are still felt today. Backed by the federal government, the practice was initiated by the Federal Housing Administration in which they would outline areas by color to show which areas were good investments or in other words, areas that could be trusted to pay their mortgages. Those outlined in red were considered the worst investments, and FHA would outline areas populated by Black people or areas likely to be populated by Black people. People in these areas were denied mortgages or were forced to accept predatory loans to buy home because of their race. This prevented these individuals from building home equity which they could pass onto future generations, a problem that White people did not have.
Over 60% of these areas are still mostly occupied by people of color. And the people living in these areas are vulnerable to many different pollutant exposures, including air pollution. This is because industries tend to build there due to the “lower” property value and there are fewer green spaces to counteract the pollution due to disinvestment.
In this world, money matters, and it decides what you can buy, where you can live, what kind of services you can access, and what level of care you acquire.