Racial Disparities in the Heavy Metal Contamination of Urban Soil in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

(1) Background: Field monitoring data for addressing the disproportional burden of exposure to soil contamination in communities of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) are sparse. This study aims to examine the association between soil heavy metal levels, SES, and racial composition. (2) Methods: A total of 423 soil samples were collected in the urban areas of eight cities across six Southern states in the U.S., in 2015. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) for eight heavy metals. The association was examined with mixed models with the log-transformed metal concentrations as the dependent variables and rankings of low-income or minority percentages as the explanatory variables. (3) Results: Model results showed that soil metal concentrations were significantly associated with rankings of poverty and minority percentages. The cadmium concentration significantly increased by 4.7% (p-value < 0.01), for every 10 percentiles of increase in poverty rank. For every 10 percentiles of increase in minority rank, the soil concentrations were significantly up (p-values < 0.01) for arsenic (13.5%), cadmium (5.5%), and lead (10.6%). Minority rank had significant direct effects on both arsenic and lead. (4) Conclusions: The findings confirmed elevated heavy metal contamination in urban soil in low-income and/or predominantly minority communities.

Community Perspectives and Environmental Justice Issues in an Unincorporated Black Township

“…Overcoming the previous lack of knowledge of the presence of pollution or its harmful effects, current residents are realizing the extent of the continuous exposure to pollutants and how that exposure has affected their health and daily quality of life. This awareness reflects current trends in environmental justice research [ 4 ], as well as known environmental racial disparities in the southeastern US region [ 5 , 6 ].…”

“…Unfortunately, because this industrial pollution is linked to poor health outcomes, such as asthma, dysfunctional lungs, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and low birth weight for babies, environmental justice remains an important issue for communities of color [ 9 ]. Although numerous research studies document the correlation between race, class, and the effects of pollution exposure, decision makers have been unresponsive, making few changes in the siting or regulation of noxious industries [ 5 , 6 , 10 ].…”

Metal Exposures in Residents Living Near an Urban Oil Drilling Site in Los Angeles, California

“…In the first factor, Pb, Cd, Sb, and As were grouped together, possibly associated with industrial and traffic-related exposures (Figure ). ,− The second factor was predominantly composed of Ni and Mn. We hypothesize this factor is a marker related to the nearby oil drilling site, as higher levels of Ni and Mn have been observed near oil drilling sites in Los Angeles .…”

“…Using NMF, we found that the toenail metal concentration data grouped into three factors, which are consistent with known exposures related to industrial sources, oil drilling, and dietary exposures, which may represent three main sources in this urban environmental justice community. Factor 1, consisting of Pb, Cd, Sb, and As, may represent traffic or industrial pollution from historical sources that continues to contaminate the soil and dust. ,− We observed higher levels of the industrial factor among children. Factor 2 consists predominantly of Mn and Ni and may be related to the nearby active oil drilling site .…”

“… 25 Several studies have found higher concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb in urban areas with a higher percent of racial and ethnic minorities compared to whiter urban areas. 24 , 33 Additionally, another Los Angeles study of children’s toenails in a different industrial corridor also grouped Sb, Pb, As, and Cd together using NMF. 21 In our study, the majority of child participants had exposures in the highest tertile of the industrial factor, which may be due to children playing on the ground and in soil or due to differences in these metals accumulating in small bodies.…”