Quantifying the Distribution of Environmental Health Threats and Hazards in Washington State Using a Cumulative Environmental Inequality Index

Abstract

Background:

Environmental racism, community stressors, and age-related susceptibility play a significant role in environmental inequality. The goal of this article was to use an inequality index (II) to assess the level of equality in environmental threats and hazards based on race, poverty, and age in Washington State.

Methods:

Using the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map, we quantified the level of disproportionate burdens on communities with greater populations of people of color, people in poverty, children younger than 5, and people older than 65 using 3 cumulative environmental indices and 10 individual environmental indicators.

Results:

Census tracts with a higher proportion of people of color and those with people living below 185% federal poverty levels were found to be disproportionately burdened by environmental threats (II = −0.175 and II = −0.167, respectively, p < 0.001). Individual environmental indicators were found to disproportionately burden communities of color and low-income communities. Children younger than 5 were also disproportionately burdened by cumulative environmental indices (II = −0.076, p < 0.001) and individual indicators. Our analysis did not show disproportionate burden of environmental health threats based on the proportion of people older than 65 (II = 0.124, p < 0.001).

Discussion:

The disproportionate burden of the cumulative environmental threats on communities of color and low-income communities in this study corroborates similar analyses. These findings can be applied in policy and regulatory actions to correct the distributive environmental disparities.

Conclusion:

We found much higher burdens among historically marginalized communities and children who are more susceptible to environmental threats and hazards.