Impact of Air Pollution Exposure in Latino Communities: An Equity-based Framework for Environmental Engineering
Disciplines
Environmental Engineering | Latina/o Studies
Abstract (300 words maximum)
How can the emerging field of engineering contribute to devising innovative and holistic strategies that lead to a substantial improvement in the quality of life and overall well-being of underserved immigrant communities? Hispanic communities make up the second-largest ethnic group yet, live in more polluted environments than their white counterparts and battle higher rates of poverty. With low-income neighborhoods come unsafe and often hazardous environmental factors that harm the health of their inhabitants. Environmental engineering, a newer branch of the discipline that combines civil and chemical engineering ideas, could offer various solutions to such socio-cultural and environmental issues, in particular relating to air and water pollution. Previous reports have found strong connections between race and pollution in a neighborhood but fail to propose long-term solutions to these issues. This research focuses on the effects of environmental racism and how it harms the health of Latino communities through specific scenarios. The study would also investigate possible solutions that environmental engineering practices can offer. How can the engineering solutions effectively address the challenges and opportunities presented by specific socio-cultural demographics, with the ultimate goal of fostering resilience and thriving communities, especially among Latino immigrants? The study will identify common issues in different environmental settings, gather socio-cultural data from previous relevant studies about environmental health, and then analyze and compare it to data from a more affluent and predominantly white area. The expected findings of this research would include establishing a more robust connection between the environment and sociocultural factors affecting Latino immigrants. Additionally, the research aims to highlight how an exciting new field of engineering could contribute to providing innovative solutions to improve the lives and well-being of these individuals - taking into account factors such as sustainable resource management, cultural sensitivity, and community engagement.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Civil and Environmental Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Pegah Zamani
Impact of Air Pollution Exposure in Latino Communities: An Equity-based Framework for Environmental Engineering
How can the emerging field of engineering contribute to devising innovative and holistic strategies that lead to a substantial improvement in the quality of life and overall well-being of underserved immigrant communities? Hispanic communities make up the second-largest ethnic group yet, live in more polluted environments than their white counterparts and battle higher rates of poverty. With low-income neighborhoods come unsafe and often hazardous environmental factors that harm the health of their inhabitants. Environmental engineering, a newer branch of the discipline that combines civil and chemical engineering ideas, could offer various solutions to such socio-cultural and environmental issues, in particular relating to air and water pollution. Previous reports have found strong connections between race and pollution in a neighborhood but fail to propose long-term solutions to these issues. This research focuses on the effects of environmental racism and how it harms the health of Latino communities through specific scenarios. The study would also investigate possible solutions that environmental engineering practices can offer. How can the engineering solutions effectively address the challenges and opportunities presented by specific socio-cultural demographics, with the ultimate goal of fostering resilience and thriving communities, especially among Latino immigrants? The study will identify common issues in different environmental settings, gather socio-cultural data from previous relevant studies about environmental health, and then analyze and compare it to data from a more affluent and predominantly white area. The expected findings of this research would include establishing a more robust connection between the environment and sociocultural factors affecting Latino immigrants. Additionally, the research aims to highlight how an exciting new field of engineering could contribute to providing innovative solutions to improve the lives and well-being of these individuals - taking into account factors such as sustainable resource management, cultural sensitivity, and community engagement.