Structural racism in neighborhoods linked to risk of cancer from traffic-related air pollution

High levels of traffic-related air pollutants have been linked with elevated risks of developing cancer and other diseases. New research indicates that multiple aspects of structural racism—the ways in which societal laws, policies, and practices systematically disadvantage certain racial or ethnic groups—may contribute to increased exposure to carcinogenic traffic-related air pollution. The findings are published in the journal Cancer. Most studies suggesting that structural racism, which encompasses factors such as residential segregation and differences in economic status and homeownership, may influence neighborhood exposures to air pollutants have focused on residential racial segregation, which is only one indicator of structural racism. Read More