Journal article
Artificial Light at Night and Social Vulnerability: An Environmental Justice Analysis in the U.S. 2012-2019
Environment international, Vol.178, 108096
08/2023
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108096
Abstract
•ALAN levels were substantially higher in more vulnerable neighborhoods when compared to less vulnerable ones.•This relationship varied considerably across different domains of social vulnerability, by rural-urban status and across different US regions.•We revealed a complex picture that highlights the combined influence of and interactions between different social, economic and environmental forces in shaping ALAN patterns in the US.
Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is an emerging health risk factor that has been linked to a wide range of adverse health effects. Recent study suggested that disadvantaged neighborhoods may be exposed to higher levels of ALAN. Understanding how social disadvantage correlates with ALAN levels is essential for identifying the vulnerable populations and for informing lighting policy.
We used satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Black Marble data product to quantify annual ALAN levels (2012-2019), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to quantify social disadvantage, both at the US census tract level. We examined the relationship between the ALAN and SVI (overall and domain-specific) in over 70,000 tracts in the Contiguous U.S., and investigated the heterogeneities in this relationship by the rural-urban status and US regions (i.e., Northeast, Midwest, South, West).
We found a significant positive relationship between SVI and ALAN levels. On average, the ALAN level in the top 20% most vulnerable communities was 2.46-fold higher than that in the 20% least vulnerable communities (beta coefficient (95% confidence interval) for log-transformed ALAN, 0.90 (0.88, 0.92)). Of the four SVI domains, minority and language status emerged as the strongest predictor of ALAN levels. Our stratified analysis showed considerable and complex heterogeneities across different rural-urban categories, with the association between greater vulnerability and higher ALAN primarily observed in urban cores and rural areas. We also found regional differences in the association between ALAN and both overall SVI and SVI domains.
Our study suggested ALAN as an environmental justice issue that may carry important public health implications.
Funding
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Artificial Light at Night and Social Vulnerability: An Environmental Justice Analysis in the U.S. 2012-2019
- Creators
- Qian Xiao - The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonYue Lyu - The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonMeng Zhou - University of IowaJiachen Lu - The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonKehe Zhang - The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonJun Wang - University of IowaCici Bauer - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environment international, Vol.178, 108096
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108096
- ISSN
- 0160-4120
- eISSN
- 1873-6750
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 07/2023
- Date published
- 08/2023
- Academic Unit
- Electrical and Computer Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Iowa Technology Institute; Physics and Astronomy; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984445623402771
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