Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies of environmental justice examine inequities in drinking water contamination. Those studies that have done so usually analyze either disparities in exposure/harm <it>or</it> inequitable implementation of enviro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-11-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ehjournal.net/content/11/1/84 |
| _version_ | 1818520999167000576 |
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| author | Balazs Carolina L Morello-Frosch Rachel Hubbard Alan E Ray Isha |
| author_facet | Balazs Carolina L Morello-Frosch Rachel Hubbard Alan E Ray Isha |
| author_sort | Balazs Carolina L |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies of environmental justice examine inequities in drinking water contamination. Those studies that have done so usually analyze either disparities in exposure/harm <it>or</it> inequitable implementation of environmental policies. The US EPA’s 2001 Revised Arsenic Rule, which tightened the drinking water standard for arsenic from 50 μg/L to 10 μg/L, offers an opportunity to analyze both aspects of environmental justice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We hypothesized that Community Water Systems (CWSs) serving a higher proportion of minority residents or residents of lower socioeconomic status (SES) have higher drinking water arsenic levels and higher odds of non-compliance with the revised standard. Using water quality sampling data for arsenic and maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation data for 464 CWSs actively operating from 2005–2007 in California’s San Joaquin Valley we ran bivariate tests and linear regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Higher home ownership rate was associated with lower arsenic levels (ß-coefficient= −0.27 μg As/L, 95% (CI), -0.5, -0.05). This relationship was stronger in smaller systems (ß-coefficient= −0.43, CI, -0.84, -0.03). CWSs with higher rates of homeownership had lower odds of receiving an MCL violation (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.67); those serving higher percentages of minorities had higher odds (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2, 5.4) of an MCL violation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found that higher arsenic levels and higher odds of receiving an MCL violation were most common in CWSs serving predominantly socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Our findings suggest that communities with greater proportions of low SES residents not only face disproportionate arsenic exposures, but unequal MCL compliance challenges.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:45:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-61b3352817db41c68876e9508f0c8746 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-069X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:45:08Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-61b3352817db41c68876e9508f0c87462022-12-22T01:24:55ZengBMCEnvironmental Health1476-069X2012-11-011118410.1186/1476-069X-11-84Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systemsBalazs Carolina LMorello-Frosch RachelHubbard Alan ERay Isha<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies of environmental justice examine inequities in drinking water contamination. Those studies that have done so usually analyze either disparities in exposure/harm <it>or</it> inequitable implementation of environmental policies. The US EPA’s 2001 Revised Arsenic Rule, which tightened the drinking water standard for arsenic from 50 μg/L to 10 μg/L, offers an opportunity to analyze both aspects of environmental justice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We hypothesized that Community Water Systems (CWSs) serving a higher proportion of minority residents or residents of lower socioeconomic status (SES) have higher drinking water arsenic levels and higher odds of non-compliance with the revised standard. Using water quality sampling data for arsenic and maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation data for 464 CWSs actively operating from 2005–2007 in California’s San Joaquin Valley we ran bivariate tests and linear regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Higher home ownership rate was associated with lower arsenic levels (ß-coefficient= −0.27 μg As/L, 95% (CI), -0.5, -0.05). This relationship was stronger in smaller systems (ß-coefficient= −0.43, CI, -0.84, -0.03). CWSs with higher rates of homeownership had lower odds of receiving an MCL violation (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.67); those serving higher percentages of minorities had higher odds (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2, 5.4) of an MCL violation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found that higher arsenic levels and higher odds of receiving an MCL violation were most common in CWSs serving predominantly socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Our findings suggest that communities with greater proportions of low SES residents not only face disproportionate arsenic exposures, but unequal MCL compliance challenges.</p>http://www.ehjournal.net/content/11/1/84Revised arsenic ruleArsenicDrinking waterSocial disparitiesEnvironmental justiceWater systemsSafe drinking water actExposure |
| spellingShingle | Balazs Carolina L Morello-Frosch Rachel Hubbard Alan E Ray Isha Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems Environmental Health Revised arsenic rule Arsenic Drinking water Social disparities Environmental justice Water systems Safe drinking water act Exposure |
| title | Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| title_full | Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| title_fullStr | Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| title_short | Environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in California’s San Joaquin Valley: a cross-sectional, cluster-design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| title_sort | environmental justice implications of arsenic contamination in california s san joaquin valley a cross sectional cluster design examining exposure and compliance in community drinking water systems |
| topic | Revised arsenic rule Arsenic Drinking water Social disparities Environmental justice Water systems Safe drinking water act Exposure |
| url | http://www.ehjournal.net/content/11/1/84 |
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