Background Industrial facilities are not located uniformly across U.S. communities, but how the burden of exposure to carcinogenic air emissions may vary across population characteristics is unclear. We evaluated differences in carcinogenic industrial pollution among major sociodemographic groups in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Methods We evaluated cross-sectional associations of population characteristics including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and poverty at the census tract level with point-source industrial emissions of 21 known human carcinogens using regulatory data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the highest emissions (tertile or quintile) to the referent group (zero emissions/non-exposed) for all sociodemographic characteristics were estimated using multinomial, population density-adjusted logistic regression models. Results In 2018, approximately 7.4 million people lived in Census tracts with nearly 12 million pounds of carcinogenic air releases. The odds of tracts having the greatest burden of benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and nickel emissions compared to non-exposed were 10%-20% higher for African Americans, whereas White populations were up to 18% less likely to live in tracts with the highest emissions. Among Hispanics and Latinos, odds were 16%-21% higher for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide. Populations experiencing poverty or with less than high school education were associated with up to 51% higher burden, irrespective of race and ethnicity. Conclusions Carcinogenic industrial emissions disproportionately impact African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, and people with limited education or experiencing poverty, thus representing a source of pollution that may contribute to observed cancer disparities.

中文翻译：

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美国致癌工业空气排放负担的社会人口不平等

背景 工业设施在美国各社区的分布并不统一，但暴露于致癌空气排放物的负担如何因人口特征而异尚不清楚。我们评估了美国和波多黎各主要社会人口群体中致癌工业污染的差异。方法 我们利用美国环境保护局的监管数据，评估了人口普查区层面的人口特征（包括种族和族裔、教育程度和贫困）与 21 种已知人类致癌物的点源工业排放的横断面关联。使用多项、人口密度调整后的逻辑回归模型估算了所有社会人口统计学特征的最高排放量（三分位数或五分位数）与参考组（零排放/非暴露）的比值比 (OR) 和 95% 置信区间 (CI) 。结果 2018 年，大约有 740 万人生活在排放了近 1200 万磅致癌空气的人口普查区。与未接触苯、1,3-丁二烯、环氧乙烷、甲醛、三氯乙烯和镍排放量最高的地区相比，非裔美国人的苯、1,3-丁二烯、环氧乙烷、甲醛、三氯乙烯和镍排放量最高的地区的几率高出 10%-20%，而白人则高达 18% % 不太可能生活在排放量最高的地区。在西班牙裔和拉丁裔中，苯、1,3-丁二烯和环氧乙烷的患病率高出 16%-21%。无论种族和民族如何，经历贫困或高中以下教育的人口的负担增加高达 51%。结论 致癌工业排放对非裔美国人、西班牙裔和拉丁裔以及教育程度有限或经历贫困的人影响尤为严重，因此是可能导致癌症差异的污染源。