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Social Inequities in Exposure to Traffic-Related Air and Noise Pollution at Public Schools in Texas

Author

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  • Jayajit Chakraborty

    (Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

  • Jacob J. Aun

    (Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

Abstract

Although children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of vehicular pollution and spend significant portions of their time at school, previous studies have not examined or compared school-level social inequities in exposure to both traffic-related air and noise pollution in the same study area. We addressed this gap through a case study in Texas—the second-largest US state based on total population and number of children. Vehicular pollution exposure was measured using: (1) outdoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), a widely used proxy for traffic-related air pollution; and (2) road noise estimates from the US Department of Transportation’s National Transportation Noise Mapping Tool. These variables were linked to data on locations and sociodemographic characteristics of children enrolled in Texas public schools. We found children attending schools with the highest exposure to both NO 2 and road noise (top 25%) were significantly more likely to be Black, Hispanic, and eligible for free/reduced lunches (socioeconomically deprived). Results from multivariable generalized estimating equations that control for spatial clustering and other relevant factors revealed that schools with greater NO 2 exposure were significantly more likely to serve racial/ethnic minority and younger students, while schools with greater exposure to road noise were significantly more likely to serve socioeconomically deprived and older students. These findings underscore the urgent need to reduce both air pollution and noise exposure at school locations, especially in schools attended by higher proportions of socially disadvantaged children that are often additionally burdened with other challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayajit Chakraborty & Jacob J. Aun, 2023. "Social Inequities in Exposure to Traffic-Related Air and Noise Pollution at Public Schools in Texas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5308-:d:1110446
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alexandra Appatova & Patrick Ryan & Grace LeMasters & Sergey Grinshpun, 2008. "Proximal exposure of public schools and students to major roadways: a nationwide US survey," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 631-646.
    2. Collins, Timothy W. & Nadybal, Shawna & Grineski, Sara E., 2020. "Sonic injustice: Disparate residential exposures to transport noise from road and aviation sources in the continental United States," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    3. Philine Gaffron & Deb Niemeier, 2015. "School Locations and Traffic Emissions — Environmental (In)Justice Findings Using a New Screening Method," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
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