Air Pollution In Inglewood

 

Air Pollution In Inglewood

 

    Over the last few decades, the environmental quality in California has improved. Yet, there are still communities that are severely affected by pollution (August et al., 2021). Some of these communities are minority and low-income populations which makes them more susceptible to the impacts of pollution. One of these communities is the city of Inglewood. In 2018, the population of Inglewood was comprised of 51.4% Hispanic and Latino residents and 40.9% Black residents. Also in 2018, the median household income in Inglewood was considerably less than the median household income of Los Angeles County by $14,626 (“Environmental Justice Element,” 2020). 

              Inglewood Race/Ethnicity, 2018

              Source: SAG. Profile of the City of Inglewood. 2019

    With the use of CalEnviroScreen, a computer mapping tool that identifies communities that are greatly affected by pollution, Inglewood was placed in the top 25% of the census tracts of California to have the highest exposure to pollutants and other harmful environmental conditions due to pollution. To determine whether a community is affected by pollution, CalEnviroScreen has identified several indicators that fall into two categories: pollution characteristics and pollution burden. Pollution characteristics are qualities of a community that make them more vulnerable to environmental pollutants. Pollution burden are factors that evaluate the different types of pollutions residents may be exposed to. By assigning separate scores to the two categorical indicators and multiplying the scores, then converting the overall score to a percentile, the census tracts in Inglewood had a range in percentile from 49% to 98%. In the figure below, one can see the range of percentile in the city Inglewood (“Environmental Justice Element,” 2020).

        CalEnviroScreen 3.0 Map, Inglewood, 2018 

As stated by August et al. (2021), some of the pollution burden indicators are:

• Ozone concentrations in air
• PM2.5 concentrations in air
• Diesel particulate matter emissions
• Drinking water contaminants
• Use of certain high-hazard, high-volatility pesticides
• Toxic releases from facilities
• Traffic impacts

    Of these indicators, ozone concentration and particulate matter cause the most extensive and significant health threats (August et al., 2021). In 2018, the South Coast Air Basin, which includes Inglewood, did not meet the national air quality standards as the basin’s air consisted of ozone, particulate matter, and lead concentrations (“Environmental Justice Element,” 2020). According to the City of Inglewood (2020), the primary contribution of air pollution in the South Coast Basin is emissions from cars and trucks that pass along local freeways and roadways. This is accurate in Inglewood as there are more than 250,000 vehicles that travel daily through the I- 405 and I-105, both of which extend through Inglewood. In addition, there are also busy roadways in Inglewood like Manchester Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard, and Century Boulevard that contribute to air pollution in the city. Apart from vehicular air pollution, airplanes that land or depart from the Los Angeles International Airport also contribute to the harmful air pollution in Inglewood (“Environmental Justice Element,” 2020).

    As stated previously, ozone and particulate matter concentrations are major sources of air pollution in Inglewood. Another major source that impacts air pollution in Inglewood is traffic. As a result, I will talk about the effects of ozone, particulate matter, and traffic pollution. According to August et al. (2021), studies have shown that exposure to ozone concentrations have been linked to a decline in lung function, worsening asthma, increase in hospital admissions, and even a rise in daily deaths (August et al., 2021). Particulate matter has also caused deaths across California. As stated by August et al. (2021), particulate matter is a mixture of solid and liquid particles found in the air that arise from cars, trucks, wood burning, and other activities that involve combustion. These particles can enter the lungs and even enter the blood stream. Children, the elderly, and people suffering from respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic illnesses are more likely to be affected from exposure to particulate matter. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has even identified particulate matter as a carcinogen to humans and has been linked to lung cancer. Traffic is another source that has a harmful impact on health. Vehicle emissions contain large amounts of toxic chemicals like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and benzene, another known carcinogen. Health problems that are connected to traffic pollution include lung disease, cancer, and even death (August et al., 2021).

    Exposure to air pollutants can result in health conditions such as asthma, low birth weight, and heart disease. Sometimes these health conditions can make a person even more vulnerable to the health impacts of pollution (August et al., 2021). According to the City of Inglewood (2020), people with asthma may be more susceptible to other respiratory diseases, like the flu and pneumonia. The City of Inglewood (2020) also stated that low birth weight has been connected to communities with high pollution levels and unattainable health care. In addition, infants with low birth weight may also be prone to develop other health effects later in life. Lastly, people with heart disease may also experience worsened cardiovascular conditions. In the figure below, one can see that the rates of asthma, low birth weight, and heart disease of populations in Inglewood are alarmingly close to, if not, higher than the asthma, low birth weight, and heart disease rates of populations in Los Angeles County, a county that includes 88 cities (“Environmental Justice Element,” 2020).

    The reason why I chose to discuss air pollution is because it directly affects me and the people I care about. Living in an area with high concentrations of pollutants, I am scared for my health and the health of my family, and community. Since my grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer, I was always concerned that factors such as pollutants in the air, and now COVID-19, would further impact her health. Though I can protect myself from catching COVID-19 and spreading it to my loved ones and others, it is difficult to protect myself or my family from the exposures to harmful air pollutants. Nonetheless, we can take steps towards reducing air pollution for the sake of our health, the health of our families, and the health of future generations.

Ways to reduce pollution:

Resources:

August, L., Bangia, K., Plummer, L., Prasad, S., Ranjbar, K., Slocombe, A., & Wieland, W. (2021, October). CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

City of Inglewood. (2020, April). Environmental Justice Element. Inglewood.

Southern California Association of Governments. (2019, May). Profile of the City of Inglewood.