Communities with large Black, Asian and Hispanic or Latino populations more likely to be exposed to air pollution, new research suggests

Marginalized communities, especially those with higher-than-average minority populations, are more likely to be exposed to air pollution in the U.S.

Marginalized communities, especially those with higher-than-average minority populations, are more likely to be exposed to air pollution in the U.S., according to new research.

Communities with large populations of Black, Asian and Hispanic or Latino residents have been found to experience more exposure to fine particulate pollutants than other areas of the U.S. with higher-than-average populations of white and Native American residents, according to a study published Wednesday in Nature. Fine particulate matters of diameters smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) have been identified as the fifth-highest risk factor for global mortality.

In 2016, the average concentration of fine particulate matter to which Black populations were exposed was 13.7% higher than that affecting white populations and 36.3% higher than that affecting Native American populations, according to the study.

Conversely, the study found that the communities mostly up made of white and Native American residents were found to have been "consistently exposed" to lower-than-average levels of pollution.