Scholarlink

<p>Lead (Pb) exposure is a critical environmental and public health issue and may be examined through the lens of environmental justice (EJ). This study presents a comparative analysis of residential soil Pb levels and spatial patterns in an urban (City of Hartford) and rural (Town of Mansfield) setting in Connecticut, USA in relation to EJ socioeconomic indices. Soil Pb levels were measured using portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at 100 and 102 residential and park sites in Hartford and Mansfield, respectively. Geospatial interpolation revealed significantly higher Pb levels in Hartford, where most values surpass the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance level of 200&#xa0;mg/kg. In contrast, Mansfield soils largely reflected background levels (&lt; 50&#xa0;mg/kg). A Getis-Ord Gi* analysis identified statistically significant hot spots with Pb ≥ 400&#xa0;mg/kg, particularly in northern Hartford, an area where people of color (POC)—defined as non-white and/or Hispanic or Latino—made up 91 to 100% of the population. K-means clustering further confirmed a strong correlation between elevated soil Pb levels and POC populations, whereas associations with low-income populations, education status, and housing age (pre-1960) were weaker. These findings highlight limitations in existing frameworks for assessing Pb exposure, which often rely on housing age and socioeconomic indicators as proxies for environmental risk. In Connecticut, income and educational attainment—the criteria used to define EJ communities—did not align with patterns of elevated soil Pb observed in this study. The results underscore the need for more integrated exposure assessments that incorporate direct environmental measurements.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Comparative analysis of urban and rural soil lead levels in Connecticut, USA: outcomes for environmental justice perspectives

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月26日

查看全文
  • Hayley Clos,
  • Marisa Chrysochoou

摘要

Lead (Pb) exposure is a critical environmental and public health issue and may be examined through the lens of environmental justice (EJ). This study presents a comparative analysis of residential soil Pb levels and spatial patterns in an urban (City of Hartford) and rural (Town of Mansfield) setting in Connecticut, USA in relation to EJ socioeconomic indices. Soil Pb levels were measured using portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at 100 and 102 residential and park sites in Hartford and Mansfield, respectively. Geospatial interpolation revealed significantly higher Pb levels in Hartford, where most values surpass the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance level of 200 mg/kg. In contrast, Mansfield soils largely reflected background levels (< 50 mg/kg). A Getis-Ord Gi* analysis identified statistically significant hot spots with Pb ≥ 400 mg/kg, particularly in northern Hartford, an area where people of color (POC)—defined as non-white and/or Hispanic or Latino—made up 91 to 100% of the population. K-means clustering further confirmed a strong correlation between elevated soil Pb levels and POC populations, whereas associations with low-income populations, education status, and housing age (pre-1960) were weaker. These findings highlight limitations in existing frameworks for assessing Pb exposure, which often rely on housing age and socioeconomic indicators as proxies for environmental risk. In Connecticut, income and educational attainment—the criteria used to define EJ communities—did not align with patterns of elevated soil Pb observed in this study. The results underscore the need for more integrated exposure assessments that incorporate direct environmental measurements.