Racial gaps in air pollution exposure in the United States 2021
People of color make up around 41 percent of the overall U.S. population, but account for 72 percent of the 18 million people living in U.S. counties with failing grades for all three pollution measures. Air pollution exposure isn't the only environmental risk where there are racial disparities in the U.S. Black and Latino Americans are also at a far higher risk of proximity to hazardous facilities like chemical and waste plants.