Methodological Design Choices Can Affect Air Pollution Exposure Disparity Estimates: A Case Study on California's Agricultural Sector.

ABSTRACT: People of color in the United States are disproportionately and unfairly exposed to air pollution. Equity-oriented scientific evaluations quantifying these disparities often use population-average exposure metrics to capture the overall inequality within a system. Utilizing these metrics involves choices about the exposure input for assessing disparity, the study geography, and the reference population, which are critical to understanding disparities and effectively designing interventions. Here, we use a case study of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) from California's agricultural sector to dissect the implications of these decisions. Using a reduced-complexity model and emissions of PM_2.5 and precursors, we compare estimates of racial and ethnic dispariti

SUBMITTER: Koolik LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12918526 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature