America's demand for products delivered to the doorstep has led to a dramatic increase in e-commerce and the warehousing industry.
Kerr and his colleagues measured a traffic-related pollutant called nitrogen dioxide by using a satellite instrument from the European Space Agency to zero in from space on the nearly 150,000 large warehouses located across the United States. Trucks and other vehicles traveling to and from these large warehouses spew out nitrogen dioxide, particulates, and other harmful pollutants.
Communities with large racial and ethnic minority populations are often located near warehouses and thus are inhaling more nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. For example, this study found that the proportion of Hispanic and Asian people living close to the largest clusters of warehouses is about 250% higher than the average nationwide.
Earlier studies have looked at warehouses and pollution in specific neighborhoods around the country, but this is the first nationwide study to show that people living near these warehouses are exposed to higher than average levels of damaging pollutants.
"Such measures would mean people living near warehouses could breathe cleaner air," said Kerr."In addition to a reduced risk of pollutant-related diseases, such measures would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change."
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