It is widely acknowledged in the field of environmental justice that communities of color are disproportionately exposed to higher levels of pollution than predominantly white communities. The Midwestern city of Kansas City, MO, has a long history of redlining practices beginning in the 1920s that have deeply segregated the city. Here, we examine quantitative multidecadal trends in air pollution disparities in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area (KCMA) using existing monitoring station information of PM2.5. We find statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) differences in PM2.5 distributions between monitors in predominantly white communities and communities of color that persist year-round. These significant differences exist throughout the PM2.5 population distribution, including the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles. From 2003 to 2016, communities of color have experienced on average &gt;1 µg m-3 (10%) higher PM2.5 burden than predominantly white communities, and there is no significant trend in this disparity over time. Future work will include investigating satellite information of PM2.5, ozone (O3), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) since the 2000s for a more complete spatial and temporal picture of air pollution disparities on the scale of the entire metropolitan area.

Exploring the air quality environmental justice landscape in the Kansas City metropolitan area

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