IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v33y2001i6p955-973.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A GIS–Environmental Justice Analysis of Particulate Air Pollution in Hamilton, Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Jerrett

    (School of Geography and Geology, and McMaster Institute of Environment and Health, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street, West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1)

  • Richard T Burnett

    (Health Canada, 200 Environmental Health Centre, Health Canada, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0L2)

  • Pavlos Kanaroglou
  • John Eyles
  • Norm Finkelstein
  • Chris Giovis
  • Jeffrey R Brook

    (Air Quality Processes Research Division, Meteorological Service of Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T4)

Abstract

The authors address two research questions: (1) Are populations with lower socioeconomic status, compared with people of higher socioeconomic status, more likely to be exposed to higher levels of particulate air pollution in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada? (2) How sensitive is the association between levels of particulate air pollution and socioeconomic status to specification of exposure estimates or statistical models? Total suspended particulate (TSP) data from the twenty-three monitoring stations in Hamilton (1985–94) were interpolated with a universal kriging procedure to develop an estimate of likely pollution values across the city based on annual geometric means and extreme events. Comparing the highest with the lowest exposure zones, the interpolated surfaces showed more than a twofold increase in TSP concentrations and more than a twentyfold difference in the probability of exposure to extreme events. Exposure estimates were related to socioeconomic and demographic data from census tract areas by using ordinary least squares and simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) models. Control for spatial autocorrelation in the SAR models allowed for tests of how robust specific socioeconomic variables were for predicting pollution exposure. Dwelling values were significantly and negatively associated with pollution exposure, a result robust to the method of statistical analysis. Low income and unemployment were also significant predictors of exposure, although results varied depending on the method of analysis. Relatively minor changes in the statistical models altered the significant variables. This result emphasizes the value of geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial statistical techniques in modelling exposure. The result also shows the importance of taking spatial autocorrelation into account in future justice – health studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Jerrett & Richard T Burnett & Pavlos Kanaroglou & John Eyles & Norm Finkelstein & Chris Giovis & Jeffrey R Brook, 2001. "A GIS–Environmental Justice Analysis of Particulate Air Pollution in Hamilton, Canada," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 33(6), pages 955-973, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:33:y:2001:i:6:p:955-973
    DOI: 10.1068/a33137
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a33137
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a33137?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Birch, Stephen & Jerrett, Mike & Eyles, John, 2000. "Heterogeneity in the determinants of health and illness: the example of socioeconomic status and smoking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 307-317, July.
    2. Baumol,William J. & Oates,Wallace E., 1988. "The Theory of Environmental Policy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521322249.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sara E Grineski & Timothy W Collins, 2010. "Environmental Injustices in Transnational Context: Urbanization and Industrial Hazards in El Paso/Ciudad Juárez," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1308-1327, June.
    2. C.I. Beattie & J.W.S. Longhurst & N.K. Woodfield, 2002. "A Comparative Analysis of the Air Quality Management Challenges and Capabilities in Urban and Rural English Local Authorities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 39(13), pages 2469-2483, December.
    3. Higgins, Christopher D. & Adams, Matthew D. & Réquia, Weeberb J. & Mohamed, Moataz, 2019. "Accessibility, air pollution, and congestion: Capturing spatial trade-offs from agglomeration in the property market," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 177-191.
    4. Jamie Pearce & Simon Kingham & Peyman Zawar-Reza, 2006. "Every Breath You Take? Environmental Justice and Air Pollution in Christchurch, New Zealand," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(5), pages 919-938, May.
    5. Niamh K Shortt & Esther Rind & Jamie Pearce & Richard Mitchell, 2014. "Integrating Environmental Justice and Socioecological Models of Health to Understand Population-Level Physical Activity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(6), pages 1479-1495, June.
    6. Gordon Mitchell & Danny Dorling, 2003. "An Environmental Justice Analysis of British Air Quality," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 35(5), pages 909-929, May.
    7. Hanneke Kruize & Mariël Droomers & Irene Van Kamp & Annemarie Ruijsbroek, 2014. "What Causes Environmental Inequalities and Related Health Effects? An Analysis of Evolving Concepts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Michael Buzzelli & Michael Jerrett, 2004. "Racial Gradients of Ambient Air Pollution Exposure in Hamilton, Canada," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(10), pages 1855-1876, October.
    9. Thoreau R Tooke & Brian Klinkenberg & Nicholas C Coops, 2010. "A Geographical Approach to Identifying Vegetation-Related Environmental Equity in Canadian Cities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 37(6), pages 1040-1056, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kotchen, Matthew J. & Salant, Stephen W., 2011. "A free lunch in the commons," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 245-253, May.
    2. Frans P. Vries & Nick Hanley, 2016. "Incentive-Based Policy Design for Pollution Control and Biodiversity Conservation: A Review," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 63(4), pages 687-702, April.
    3. Yu-Bong Lai, 2004. "Trade liberalization, consumption externalities and the environment," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 17(5), pages 1-9.
    4. Ni, Jinlan & Wei, Chu & Du, Limin, 2015. "Revealing the political decision toward Chinese carbon abatement: Based on equity and efficiency criteria," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 609-621.
    5. Giancarlo Giudici & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra, 2019. "The creation of cleantech startups at the local level: the role of knowledge availability and environmental awareness," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 815-830, April.
    6. Grüll, Georg & Taschini, Luca, 2011. "Cap-and-trade properties under different hybrid scheme designs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 107-118, January.
    7. Na Li Dawson & Kathleen Segerson, 2008. "Voluntary Agreements with Industries: Participation Incentives with Industry-Wide Targets," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(1), pages 97-114.
    8. Sam Fankhauser & Cameron Hepburn, 2009. "Carbon markets in space and time," GRI Working Papers 3, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    9. Ehigiamusoe, Kizito Uyi & Lean, Hooi Hooi & Smyth, Russell, 2020. "The moderating role of energy consumption in the carbon emissions-income nexus in middle-income countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    10. Joseph E. Aldy & William A. Pizer, 2009. "Issues in Designing U.S. Climate Change Policy," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 179-210.
    11. Thomas Akpan Harry & Ekemini John Peter & Nsidibe Akpan Udoduk, 2022. "Environmental Impact Assessment Of Oil Producing Communities In Part Of The Niger Delta. A Case Study Of Ibeno, Ikot Abasi, Onna And Esit-Eket Local Government Area In Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria," Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 5(2), pages 49-56, April.
    12. Stavins, Robert, 2001. "Lessons From the American Experiment With Market-Based Environmental Policies," RFF Working Paper Series dp-01-53, Resources for the Future.
    13. Wu, JunJie & Zilberman, David & Babcock, Bruce A., 2001. "Environmental and Distributional Impacts of Conservation Targeting Strategies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 333-350, May.
    14. Boisvert, Richard N. & Peterson, Jeffrey M., 1996. "Conditions for Requiring Separate Green Payments Policies Under Asymmetric Information," Working Papers 127934, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    15. Janusch, Nicholas, 2016. "A note on the distortionary effects of revenue-neutral tolls in a bottleneck congestion game," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 95-103.
    16. Berta, Nathalie, 2015. "Prix versus quantités : les contorsions du marché du carbone européen," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 18.
    17. Managi, Shunsuke & Opaluch, James J. & Jin, Di & Grigalunas, Thomas A., 2006. "Stochastic frontier analysis of total factor productivity in the offshore oil and gas industry," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 204-215, November.
    18. Jeffrey P. Cohen & Cletus C. Coughlin, 2003. "Congestion at airports: the economics of airport expansions," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 85(May), pages 9-26.
    19. Palmer, Karen & Paul, Anthony, 2015. "A Primer on Comprehensive Policy Options for States to Comply with the Clean Power Plan," RFF Working Paper Series dp-15-15, Resources for the Future.
    20. Nathalie Berta, 2016. "On the definition of externality as a missing market," Post-Print halshs-01277990, HAL.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:33:y:2001:i:6:p:955-973. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.