Some Evidence on the Distribution of Air Quality

Abstract

This paper addresses the question: is exposure to air pollution in the U.S. related systematically to economic and social characteristics of the population. The evidence examined (based on micro data) indicates that air pollution in urban areas appears to be regressively distributed; and that recent air-quality changes have followed a progressive pattern. Although these findings must be treated with caution, they are in accord with some evidence reported elsewhere. Section I briefly reviews the literature dealing with the distribution of air quality and associated benefits. Section II describes new evidence on current air-quality distribution, while Section III presents some direct measures of the incidence of distribution. In Section IV some direct tests of the distribution of recent air-quality change are presented. Problems of interpretation are examined in Section V. It is concluded that both the inter- and intra-city distributions examined indicate that air-pollution exposure is inversely related to income and income-related variables. 61 references, 47 footnotes.