Inequities in Environmental Stress: Implications for Environmental

Justice

Larry BakerWaterThink, LLC

and University of Minnesota

Water Resources Center

Guest lecture presented for ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Augsburg College Sept. 29, 2009

1. Understand assumptions & values that lead to environmental and social justice

2. * Understand disproportionate impacts on subpopulations – vulnerable, disadvantaged, underrepresented

3. Apply skills of assessment, problem identification and intervention

4. Identify social change interventions to address environmental injustice.

5. Implement interventions at the micro, meso and macro levels to support social justice

6. Develop conceptual basis for role of workers striving for environmental justice.

Your class goals (condensed from syllabus)

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Environmental StressorsI will consider only human health only (not trees, birds,

etc.)

Working definition: “Environmental” = biophysical stressors, not social

Weight of evidence for environmental stress:1. Biological mechanism – do we understand why a

potential “stressor” impairs health?2. Epidemiology –

What is the distribution of the stressor (chemical; noise levels, etc.) in affected populations?Is there an empirical relationship between the stressor and specific health endpoints?

- specific disease- broad morbidity- mortality WaterThink, LLC

How important are environmental stressors to the health of disadvantaged groups?

Would reducing these environmental stressors improve the mental and physical health of these groups?

Questions

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Environmental Stressors to be Considered

• Lead• Heat• Noise• Air pollution

(ozone)Why these?1. All disproportionately affect poor, disadvantaged,

or young/old groups2. All have proven biological mechanisms for causing

stress3. They are widespread, not isolated4. They are all solvable problems5. Solving them would improve the lives of

disproportionately affected groups WaterThink, LLC

Lead effects are well understood

Source: Needleman, 2004

- “Elevated BLL” > 10 ug/dL- Effects down to 2 ug/dL- Clinical symptoms > 60

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Elevated blood lead levels in the U.S. by race, income, and urban statusSource: Brody et al., 1994

“Elevated” blood lead = 10 ug/dL

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  % of children

All races White, non-Hispanic

Black, non-Hispanic

1976-1980 88.2 -- --

1988-1991 8.6 6 18

1991-1994 4.4 2.3 11.2

1999-2002 1.6 1.3 3.1

Historical trend:American children ages 1-5 with blood lead levels

greater than 10 ug/dL

Source: Centers for Disease Control (several sources)

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Minnesota children tested for lead who have elevated blood lead levels (Source: MN Dept. of Health)

MNHCP = Minnesota Health Care Programs (low income) WaterThink, LLC

Trend of Blood Lead Levels in Minnesota’s children

Source: Minnesota's Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs: Report to the Legislature, Feb. 2009

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Old buildings(source)

Inner city neighborhood

Stormwater

Sediment accumulatio

n zones

Pealing paint

Suburban regionAir

dispersal

Rural areas

Streams and rivers

Ocean

Air dispersal

Soil(source)

Where does lead come from? Where does it go?A biogeochemist’s perspective

Source: Baker (2009) The Water Environment of Cities

Street sweeping

Landfill

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Stressor #2: HeatSource: NOAA

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Heat stress from urban heat island

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Heat island effectSource: Baker et al. 2003

1. Largest difference at night2. Nighttime difference can be 10o F

80

90

100

110

Tem

p.,

oF

Concept: Misery Hours Per Day

Misery hours

Urban heat island

Effect of urban heat island on violent crimeSource: Anderson, 2001.

0

20

40

60

80

0 5 10 15

Increase in temperature, oF

Incr

eas

e in v

iole

nt

crim

e

rate

, pe

r 100

,000

National average: 450 violent crimes per 100,000 (FBI statistics)From graph: UHI effect = 10 oF = + 45 violent crimes/100,000(10% increase)

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Long term average = 170/year

Distribution of heat-related deaths in the U.S.WaterThink, LLC

Mitigation of urban heat island

Source: EPA websites

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Stressor #3: Air pollution

Disproportionate effect:

1. Greater exposure (inner city)

2. Greater sensitivity- higher incidence of smoking- higher asthma rates

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Asthma rates among racial and ethnic groups in Hennepin County

Source: MN Dept of Health, Asthma in Minnesota 2008WaterThink, LLC

Environmental triggers for asthmaSource: Centers for Disease Control

• Second-hand (or first hand) smoke• Dust mites• Outdoor air pollution (esp. ozone)• Cockroach allergen• Mold

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Source: Aeromatic Information Retrieval System (AIRS), Environmental Protection Agency (Slide from the Centers for Disease Control).

4339

25 23

7167

3935

61 59

4743

3733

0

25

50

75

Persons Living in Areas that do not Meet EPA Standards for Ozone

Percent of population

2010 Target = 0%

1997 2004

Total American Indian WhiteBlackHispanicAsian Native Hawaiian

Decrease desired

Stressor #4: Noise pollution

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One example of noise levels: Mpls-St. Paul Airport

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Stressor #5 ToxinsFish Consumption Advisory StudyBurgess et al., J. Risk Assessment, 2004

Reasons advisory has not followed:

1. Failure to hear about advisory: 38% Hispanic, 45% black; 68% white

2. Advisory ignored:- Distrust of the government

- Suspicious of government motives

-Failure of anyone who got sick

-Belief that they could determine if a fish was bad by look or smell.

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Summing upLines of evidence for human health risks:

1. Mechanism of action2. Epidemiology – exposure and outcomes

Do disadvantaged groups suffer disproportionately from environmental heath risks?

YES!LeadHeatNoiseAir pollution/asthma

What is the cumulative (combined effect) to disadvantaged groups? Unknown

Prediction: High enough to be “unjust”WaterThink, LLC

Breakout discussion topics• Group 1: What disciplines (types of professions)

would be needed to develop the knowledge needed to combat these disproportionate environmental impacts?

• Group 2: To what extent do you think exposure to environmental stressors is deliberate vs. inadvertent? Try this ranking for each of the stressors in the lecture (ozone, asthma, lead, noise, heat).

• Group 3. How could you mobilize a community to reduce its exposure? What are the barriers that you would expect to encounter?

• Group 4: What is the impact on the individual, family, neighborhood and community of such stressors? Identify the connections between these levels.

• Group 5: Why do disadvantaged communities allow these environmental risks to occur to them? What social barriers to be overcome? WaterThink, LLC

References

Anderson, C. A. 2001. Heat and violence. derson, C.A. Current Directions in Psychological Science 10.

Baker, L. 2009. New directions in urban pollution management.in L. A. Baker, editor. The Water Environment of Cities. Springer Science, Lowell, MA.

Baker, L. A., A. J. Brazel, N. Selover, C. Martin, N. McIntyre, F. R. Steiner, A. Nelson, and L. Musacchio. 2002. Urbanization and warming of Phoenix (Arizona, USA): Impacts, feedbacks, and mitigation. Urban Ecosystems 6:183-203.

Brody, D., J. L. Pirkle, R. A. Kramer, K. M. Flegal, T. D. Matte, Gunter, E.W., and D. C. Paschal. 1994. Blood lead levels in the U.S. population. Phase I fo the Third National Health adn Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II, 1988-1991)

Burgess et al. 2004 ?

Chepesiuk, R. 2005. Decibel Hell. Environmental Health Perspectives 113:A37-A41.

Needleman, H. 2004. Lead poisoning. Annu. Rev. Med 55:209-222.JAMA 272:277-283.