title: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cumulative Environmental Health Impacts in California: Evidence From a Statewide Environmental Justice Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen 1.1).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used an environmental justice screening tool (CalEnviroScreen 1.1) to compare the distribution of environmental hazards and vulnerable populations across California communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  CalEnviroScreen 1.1 combines 17 indicators created from 2004 to 2013 publicly available data into a relative cumulative impact score. We compared cumulative impact scores across California zip codes on the basis of their location, urban or rural character, and racial/ethnic makeup. We used a concentration index to evaluate which indicators were most unequally distributed with respect to race/ethnicity and poverty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The unadjusted odds of living in one of the 10% most affected zip codes were 6.2, 5.8, 1.9, 1.8, and 1.6 times greater for Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and other or multiracial individuals, respectively, than for non-Hispanic Whites. Environmental hazards were more regressively distributed with respect to race/ethnicity than poverty, with pesticide use and toxic chemical releases being the most unequal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Environmental health hazards disproportionately burden communities of color in California. Efforts to reduce disparities in pollution burden can use simple screening tools to prioritize areas for action.
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cushing
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faust
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: Laura Meehan
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: August
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cendak
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: Walker
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wieland
authors.affiliation: Lara Cushing is with the Energy & Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley. At the time of study, Lara Cushing was and all of the other authors are with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alexeeff
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California; D004777:Environment; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D010575:Pesticides