Disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles experience significantly higher concentrations and emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), a class of substances linked to adverse health effects like increased cancer risk, reproductive complications, and developmental issues, according to a recent study led by researchers in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM).
The findings, published last month in Environmental Science & Technology, are based on an analysis of the first-ever direct aircraft-based observations of HAP emissions and concentration collected in Los Angeles.
The data suggests that low-income residents and communities of color in Los Angeles, which routinely ranks as one of the most polluted regions in the United States, are still disproportionately burdened by the legacy of discriminatory practices like redlining and racial segregation.
Jennifer Ofodile, PhD’25 ESPM, and postdoctoral researcher Eva Pfannerstill are co-first authors of the paper, with the research study led by CEE Professor Allen Goldstein. Read the full study in Environmental Science & Technology.
Additional UC Berkeley co-authors include CEE Professor Sunni Ivey and visiting scholar Caleb Arata, PhD ’20, Chemistry.
Check out the full news article on the UC Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources.