The Racial Ecology of Lead Poisoning
Toxic Inequality in Chicago Neighborhoods, 1995-2013
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24315682 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert J Sampson (0000-0003-4259-8146), Alix S Winter (0000-0001-9719-8073) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 261-283 |
| Publication date | 2016-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Du Bois Review Social Science Research on Race (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1742-058X • E-ISSN: 1742-0598 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1742058x16000151 |
| OpenAlex | W2555266958 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 61 |
| References cited | 38 |
This paper examines the racial ecology of lead exposure as a form of environmental inequity, one with both historical and contemporary significance. Drawing on comprehensive data from over one million blood tests administered to Chicago children from 1995-2013 and matched to over 2300 geographic block groups, we address two major questions: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between neighborhood-level racial composition and variability in children’s elevated lead prevalence levels? And (2) what is the nature of the relationship between neighborhood-level racial composition and rates of change in children’s prevalence levels over time within neighborhoods? We further assess an array of structural explanations for observed racial disparities, including socioeconomic status, type and age of housing, proximity to freeways and smelting plants, and systematic observations of housing decay and neighborhood disorder. Overall, our theoretical framework posits lead toxicity as a major environmental pathway through which racial segregation has contributed to the legacy of Black disadvantage in the United States. Our findings support this hypothesis and show alarming racial disparities in toxic exposure, even after accounting for possible structural explanations. At the same time, however, our longitudinal results show the power of public health policies to reduce racial inequities.
Chicago · children's blood lead levels · environmental inequity · Environmental justice · Lead poisoning · neighborhood disorder · neighborhood racial composition · Public health policy · racial disparities · racial segregation · Socioeconomic status · Environmental Justice and Health Disparities · Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
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| Citations per year | 6.78 |
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| Citation span | 2017 - 2026 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |