Fact Sheets
Environmental Disparities
nvironmental factors, ranging from tobacco Exposure to environmental risks varies
E smoke to chemicals to dietary habits, can cause
serious health issues. Research has linked incidence
based on income. People in low-income commu-
nities often have less healthy surroundings than
and severity of cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s, autism, people in other communities.3
birth defects, endometriosis, infertility, and multiple Low-income communities are often located in or
sclerosis to environmental contaminants.1 near polluting industrial areas and have cheap,
For example: older housing where lead paint and pests are a
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in threat.3
children and has been strongly linked to environ- A greater proportion of poor communities live in
mental exposures.1 polluted environments and work in hazardous
Learning disabilities have been associated with conditions and occupations.6
toxic chemical exposure and affect between 5 Low-income communities receive less treatment
and 10 percent of children in public schools.1 for environmental disease because healthcare
High bone lead levels have been linked to low resources are limited.3
birth weight. 5 In addition, DDT is linked to In the mid-1990s, high lead blood levels were
preterm birth, a leading cause of infant death in found in 4.4 percent of all U.S. children and 16
the United States.1 percent of children from low-income families.6
Evidence suggests that Parkinson’s disease may Almost 300,000 farm workers suffer pesticide-
occur from an interaction between genes and related illnesses each year.6
exposure to certain chemicals such as pesticides,
fertilizers, and fungicides.1 Exposure to environmental risks varies
Many types of cancer may not be inherited, but based on geography.
may be linked to environmental factors, including Living near water. Native American children eat
tobacco smoke, chemicals, dietary habits and large amounts of fish that may be contaminated
viral infections. with polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury, lead,
The National Toxicology Program recently listed and fluoride.4
228 chemicals as known or reasonably anticipat- Living in urban areas. African-American women
ed human carcinogens.1 who live in the South Bronx are exposed to auto
exhaust and tend to have smaller babies with
Exposure to environmental risks varies smaller head circumferences.6 In Central Harlem,
based on race and ethnicity. Minorities are at 25 percent of the children have asthma, which
greater risk of exposure to synthetic chemicals.2 has been linked to high exposure to diesel
African-Americans. African-Americans are much exhaust. Northern Manhattan has a third of the
more likely to be exposed to dioxins and poly- nation’s largest diesel bus fleet and the city’s
chlorinated biphenyls and to be exposed at high- highest concentration of diesel bus depots.6
er levels.2 In the mid-1990s, high lead blood levels
were found in 4.4 percent of all U.S. children and 1. http://www.breastcancerfund.org/calbbc/fs_
biomonitoring.htm
in 22 percent of African-American children.6
2. http://www.ejhu.org/eerdexecsum.htm
Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans are
3. http://www.ejhu.org/disparities.html
much more likely to be exposed to pesticides,
4. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/disparity/
herbicides, and pest repellants and to be exposed
child.htm
at higher levels.2
5. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/disparity/
Whites. Whites are much more likely to be lead.htm
exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 6. “Building Healthy Environments to Eliminate Health
and phytoestrogens.2 Disparities Symposium,” United States Environmental
Protection Agency, May 28-29, 2003, Washington, D.C.
National Public Health Week • April 5-11,2004 • Eliminating Health Disparities: Communities Moving from Statistics to Solutions • Toolkit 28