posted on June 4, 2014
A study headed by MSI PI Professor Julian Marshall (Civil Engineering; Institute on the Environment) has been receiving a great deal of recent media attention. The study analyzes pollution distribution across the U.S. and shows that people of color are exposed to higher levels of atmospheric pollution than whites. The study includes other factors, such as income level. MSI PI Associate Professor Dylan Millet (Soil, Water, and Climate) is also part of this research study. Both Professor Marshall and Professor Millet use MSI resources to model atmospheric pollution.
An article about this study appeared in the prestigious journal The Economist in May ("The colour of pollution," The Economist, online edition, May 24, 2014, http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21602735-air-getting-cleaner-less-so-non-whites-colour-pollution, downloaded May 28, 2014). The study and an interview with Professor Marshall also appeared in April on the Minnesota news site MinnPost.com (Ibrahim Hirsi, "Huge gap in pollution exposure by race surprises U of M researchers," MinnPost, http://www.minnpost.com/community-sketchbook/2014/04/huge-gap-pollution-exposure-race-surprises-u-m-researchers, downloaded June 3, 2014). The data from this research project appears on Professor Marshall's website.