
Mapping Cumulative Environmental Effects, Social Vulnerability, and Health in the San Joaquin Valley, California
Author(s) -
Ganlin Huang,
Jonathan London
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2011.300466
Subject(s) - san joaquin , social vulnerability , environmental health , vulnerability (computing) , index (typography) , hazard , vulnerability index , geography , environmental science , medicine , climate change , ecology , chemistry , computer security , organic chemistry , psychiatry , world wide web , computer science , psychological intervention , soil science , biology
To understand the social distribution of environmental hazards, methods to assess cumulative effects and their health implications are needed. We developed a cumulative environmental hazard index integrating environmental data on pollution sites, air quality, and pesticide use; a social vulnerability index to measure residents' resources to prevent or mitigate health effects; and a health index. We found that communities in California's San Joaquin Valley with high social vulnerability face more environmental burdens and have worse health conditions.