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Demographic disparities in United States Clean Air Act PM2.5 attainment counties: assessing population living in nonattainment conditions

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  • Finn Dobkin

    (George Washington University)

  • Gaige Kerr

    (George Washington University)

Abstract

United States’ (US) declines in PM2.5 concentrations attributed to the US Clean Air Act have overshadowed the geographic disparities in PM2.5 exposure. Using PM2.5 estimates formed by fusing a chemical transport model with satellite observations and calibrated to surface-level concentrations, we estimate census tract-level PM2.5 concentrations in Clean Air Act compliant regions, administratively referred to as attainment counties. We then (a) estimate the total population living in census tracts that exceed the Clean Air Act attainment PM2.5 concentrations and (b) identify the sociodemographic characteristics of each census tract by PM2.5 concentration. We find that in 2020, there were an estimated 6.73 million individuals living in Clean Air Act PM2.5 attainment counties located in census tracts that exceed Clean Air Act PM2.5 attainment concentrations. Our findings also indicate that these census tracts with elevated PM2.5 concentrations are disproportionately populated by Hispanic and foreign-born individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Finn Dobkin & Gaige Kerr, 2025. "Demographic disparities in United States Clean Air Act PM2.5 attainment counties: assessing population living in nonattainment conditions," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 15(2), pages 298-309, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:15:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s13412-024-00933-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-024-00933-1
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