Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Does the environmental inequality matter? A literature review

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The environmental inequality theory reveals that the risk of environmental pollution exposure varies among regions and groups and that particular groups face a higher threat of environmental pollution. In recent years, studies on the environmental inequality issue in developed countries have been increasing, while related literature on developing countries is very scarce. It has been found that some factors, such as race and economic status, have a close relationship with the risk of environmental pollution exposure faced by individuals. For the first time, this paper provides an extensive review of existing theoretical and empirical studies on environmental inequality. We review, in detail, the evolution of the environmental inequality theory, including the definition and measurement of environmental inequality. Further, we provide a systematic refresher on the main performance of environmental inequality, including health, education, labor productivity, and real estate prices. We also identify several causes of environmental inequality, such as ethnic differences, economic status, human capital, and household registration systems. Finally, we discuss prospects for the future research on this issue.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agarwal, N., Banternghansa, C., & Bui, L. T. M. (2010). Toxic exposure in America: Estimating fetal and infant health outcomes from 14 years of TRI reporting. Journal of Health Economics, 29(4), 557–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ai, H., Hu, S., Li, K., & Shao, S. (2020). Environmental regulation, total factor productivity, and enterprise duration: Evidence from China. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(9), 2284–2296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderton, D. L., Anderson, A. B., Oakes, J. M., & Fraser, M. R. (1994). Environmental equity: The demographics of dumping. Demography, 31, 229–248.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderton, D. L., Oakes, J. M., & Egan, K. L. (1997). Environmental equity in superfund: Demographics of the discovery and prioritization of abandoned toxic sites. Evaluation Review, 21(1), 3–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ash, M., & Fetter, T. R. (2004). Who lives on the wrong side of the environmental tracks? Social Science Quarterly, 85(2), 441–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azimi, M., Feng, F., & Zhou, C. (2019). Air pollution inequality and health inequality in China: An empirical study. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26, 11962–11974.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhtsiyarava, M., & Nawrotzki, R. J. (2017). Environmental inequality and pollution advantage among immigrants in the United States. Applied Geography, 81, 60–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banzhaf, S., Ma, L., & Timmins, C. (2019). Environmental justice: The economics of race, place, and pollution. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(1), 185–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrera, F., Reyespaecke, S., & Banzhaf, E. (2016). Indicators for green spaces in contrasting urban settings. Ecological Indicators, 62, 212–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Been, V. (1995). Analyzing evidence of environmental justice. Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, 11(1), 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Been, V., & Gupta, F. (1997). Coming to the nuisance or going to the barrios: A longitudinal analysis of environmental justice claims. Ecology Law Quarterly, 24(1), 1–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, M. L., & Ebisu, K. (2012). Environmental inequality in exposures to airborne particulate matter components in the united states. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(12), 1699–1704.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berman, J. D., McCormack, M. C., Koehler, K. A., Connolly, F., Clemons-Erby, D., Davis, M. F., Gummerson, C., Leaf, P. J., Jones, T. D., & Curriero, F. C. (2018). School environmental conditions and links to academic performance and absenteeism in urban, mid-Atlantic public schools. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 221(5), 800–808.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boer, J. T., Pastor, M., Sadd, J. L., & Snyder, L. D. (1997). Is there environmental racism: The demographics of hazardous waste in Los Angeles. Social Science Quarterly, 78(4), 793–810.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bornstein, R. F. (1989). Exposure and affect: Overview and meta-analysis of research, 1968–1987. Psychological Bulletin, 106(2), 265–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, J. K., Zwickl, K., & Ash, M. (2016). Measuring environmental inequality. Ecological Economics, 124, 114–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brulle, R. J., & Pellow, D. N. (2006). Environmental justice: Human health and environmental inequalities. Annual Review of Public Health, 27(1), 103–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bullard, R. D. (1990). Dumping in Dixie: Race, class, and environmental quality. . Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, L. M. (1993). Race and environmental equity: A geographic analysis in Los Angeles. Geo Info Systems, 3(9), 44–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buzzelli, M., & Jerrett, M. (2004). Racial gradients of ambient air pollution exposure in Hamilton, Canada. Environment and Planning A, 36, 1855–1876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, J. (2006). Evaluating the environmental justice impacts of transportation improvement projects in the US. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 11(5), 315–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, J., & Armstrong, M. P. (1997). Exploring the use of buffer analysis for the identification of impacted areas in environmental equity assessment. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 24(3), 145–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, J., & Green, D. (2014). Australia’s first national level quantitative environmental justice assessment of industrial air pollution. Environmental Research Letters, 9(4), 044010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. W., & Zhang, L. (1999). The hukou system and rural–urban migration in China: Processes and changes. The China Quarterly, 160, 818–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, T., Zivin, J. G., Gross, T., & Neidell, M. (2016). Particulate pollution and the productivity of pear packers. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(3), 141–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, T., Zivin, J. G., Gross, T., & Neidell, M. (2019). The effect of pollution on worker productivity: Evidence from call center workers in China. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 11(1), 151–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chay, K.Y., & Greenstone, M. (2003). Air quality, infant mortality, and the Clean Air Act of 1970. NBER Working Paper No 10053.

  • Chay, K. Y., & Greenstone, M. (2005). Does air quality matter? Evidence from the housing market. Journal of Political Economy, 113(2), 376–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S., Guo, C., & Huang, X. (2018). Air pollution, student health, and school absences: evidence from China. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 92, 465–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S., Oliva, P., & Zhang, P. (2018b). Air pollution and mental health: Evidence from China. NBER Working Paper No 24686.

  • Chen, Y., Ebenstein, A., Greenstone, M., & Li, H. (2013). Evidence on the impact of sustained exposure to air pollution on life expectancy from China’s Huai River policy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(32), 12936–12941.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., Senthilkuma, N., Shen, H., & Shen, G. (2021). Environmental inequality deepened during the COVID-19 in the developing world. Environmental Science & Technology, 55, 7–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, T. W., & Grineski, S. E. (2019). Environmental injustice and religion: Outdoor air pollution disparities in metropolitan Salt Lake City, Utah. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 109(5), 1597–1617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., Davis, L., Greenstone, M., & Walker, R. (2015). Environmental health risks and housing values: Evidence from 1600 toxic plant openings and closings. American Economic Review, 105(2), 678–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., Hanushek, E. A., Kahn, E. M., Neidell, M., & Rivkin, S. G. (2009). Does pollution increase school absences? Review of Economics and Statistics, 91(4), 682–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., & Neidell, M. (2005). Air pollution and infant health: What can we learn from California’s recent experience? Quarterly Journal of Economics, 120(3), 1003–1030.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., Neidell, M., & Schmieder, J. F. (2009). Air pollution and infant health: Lessons from New Jersey. Journal of Health Economics, 28(3), 688–703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, G., & Friedman, S. (1999). Spatial inequality and the distribution of industrial toxic releases: Evidence from the 1990 TRI. Social Science Quarterly, 80(2), 244–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, P., & Anderton, D. L. (2000). Demographics of dumping II: A national environmental equity survey and the distribution of hazardous materials handlers. Demography, 37(4), 461–466.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, T., & Mah, A. (2020). Toxic truths environmental justice and citizen science in a post-truth age. . Manchester University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L. W. (2011). The effect of power plants on local housing values and rents. Review of Economics and Statistics, 93(4), 1391–1402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobson, A. (1998). Justice and the environment: Conceptions of environmental sustainability and theories of distributive justice. . Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Downey, L., Dubois, S., Hawkins, B., & Walker, M. (2008). Environmental inequality in metropolitan America. Organization & Environment, 21(3), 270–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Escobedo, F. J., Nowak, D. J., Wagner, J. E., La Maza, C. L., Rodriguez, M., Crane, D. E., & Hernandez, J. (2006). The socioeconomics and management of Santiago de Chile’s public urban forests. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 4(3–4), 105–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernández, I. C., & Wu, J. (2016). Assessing environmental inequalities in the city of Santiago (Chile) with a hierarchical multiscale approach. Applied Geography, 74, 160–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forastiere, F., Stafoggia, M., Tasco, C., Picciotto, S., Agabiti, N., Cesaroni, G., & Perucci, C. A. (2007). Socioeconomic status, particulate air pollution, and daily mortality: Differential exposure or differential susceptibility. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50(3), 208–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glickman, T. S., Golding, D., & Hersh, R. (1995). GIS-based environmental equity analysis: A case study of TRI facilities in the Pittsburgh area. . Kluwer Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, M. (1993). Proving environmental inequity in siting locally unwanted land uses. Risk: Issues in Health & Safety, 4(3), 235–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove, M., Ogden, L., Pickett, S., Boone, C., Buckley, G., Locke, D. H., Lord, C., & Hall, B. (2018). The legacy effect: Understanding how segregation and environmental injustice unfold over time in Baltimore. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 108(2), 524–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, J. T. (1995). Testing for environmental racism: Prejudice, profits, political power? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 14(1), 107–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, R., & Oliva, P. (2015). The effect of pollution on labor supply: Evidence from a natural experiment in Mexico City. Journal of Public Economics, 122, 68–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, T. W. (1995). Environmental justice: An environmental civil rights value acceptable to all world views. Environmental Ethics, 17(3), 277–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havard, S., Deguen, S., Zmirou-Navier, D., Schillinger, C., & Bard, D. (2009). Traffic-related air pollution and socioeconomic status: A spatial autocorrelation study to assess environmental equity on a small-area scale. Epidemiology, 20(2), 223–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He, J., Liu, H., & Salvo, A. (2019). Severe air pollution and labor productivity: Evidence from industrial towns in China. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 11(1), 173–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hird, J. A., & Reese, M. (1998). The distribution of environmental quality: An empirical analysis. Social Science Quarterly, 79(4), 693–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holifield, R., Chakraborty, J., & Walker, G. (2017). The routledge handbook of environmental justice. . Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ihlanfeldt, K. R., & Taylor, L. O. (2004). Externality effects of small-scale hazardous waste sites: Evidence from urban commercial property markets. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 47(1), 117–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeme, J. (2003). Equity, environmental justice and sustainability: Incomplete approaches in climate change politics. Global Environmental Change, 13(3), 195–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jerrett, M. (2009). Global geographies of injustice in traffic-related air pollution exposure. Epidemiology, 20(2), 231–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jerrett, M., Burnett, R. T., Kanaroglou, P. S., Eyles, J., Finkelstein, N., Giovis, C., & Brook, J. R. (2001). A GIS-environmental justice analysis of particulate air pollution in Hamilton Canada. Environment and Planning A, 33(6), 955–973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiel, K. A. (1995). Measuring the impact of the discovery and cleaning of identified hazardous waste sites on house values. Land Economics, 71(4), 428–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knibbs, L. D., & Barnett, A. G. (2015). Assessing environmental inequalities in ambient air pollution across urban Australia. Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol, 13, 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlhase, J. E. (1991). The impact of toxic waste sites on housing values. Journal of Urban Economics, 30(1), 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krellenberg, K., Müller, A., Schwarz, A., Höfer, R., & Welz, J. (2013). Flood and heat hazards in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile and the socio-economics of exposure. Applied Geography, 38, 86–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruize, H., Driessen, P. P., Glasbergen, P., & Van Egmond, K. (2007). Environmental equity and the role of public policy: Experiences in the Rijnmond region. Environmental Management, 40(4), 578–595.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanier, C., Deram, A., Cuny, M. A., Cuny, D., & Occelli, F. (2019). Spatial analysis of environmental inequalities caused by multiple air pollutants: A cumulative impact screening method, applied to the north of France. Ecological Indicators, 99, 91–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laurent, E. (2011). Issues in environmental justice within the European Union. Ecological Economics, 70(11), 1846–1853.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laurian, L., & Funderburg, R. (2014). Environmental justice in France? A spatio-temporal analysis of incinerator location. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 57(3), 424–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavy, V., Ebenstein, A., & Roth, S. (2014). The long run human capital and economic consequences of high-stakes examinations. NBER Working Paper No. 20647.

  • Le Boennec, R., & Salladarré, F. (2017). The impact of air pollution and noise on the real estate market. The case of the 2013 European Green Capital: Nantes France. Ecological Economics, 138, 82–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, G., Lu, S., Shao, S., Yang, L., & Zhang, K. (2021). Do environmental regulations hamper small enterprises’ market entry? Evidence from China. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(1), 252–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z. (2005). Institution and inequality: The hukou system in China. Journal of Comparative Economics, 33(1), 133–157.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucier, C., Rosofsky, A., London, B., Scharber, H., & Shandra, J. M. (2011). Toxic pollution and school performance scores: Environmental ascription in East Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana. Organization & Environment, 24(4), 423–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, C. (2010). Who bears the environmental burden in China: An analysis of the distribution of industrial pollution sources? Ecological Economics, 69(9), 1869–1876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, J., Liu, B., Mitchell, G., & Dong, G. (2018). A spatial analysis of air pollution and environmental inequality in Beijing, 2000–2010. Journal of Environmental Planning & Management, 62(14), 2437–2458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maantay, J. A. (2007). Asthma and air pollution in the Bronx: Methodological and data considerations in using GIS for environmental justice and health research. Health & Place, 13(1), 32–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, J. D. (2008). Environmental inequality: Air pollution exposures in California’s South Coast Air Basin. Atmospheric Environment, 42(21), 5499–5503.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michaels, R. G., & Smith, V. K. (1990). Market segmentation and valuing amenities with hedonic models: The case of hazardous waste sites. Journal of Urban Economics, 28(2), 223–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) (1998) Official Reply of the State Council Concerning Acid Rain Control Zone and Sulfur Dioxide Pollution Control Zone.

  • Mitchell, G., & Dorling, D. (2003). An environmental justice analysis of British air quality. Environment and Planning A, 35(5), 909–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizen, A., Lyons, J., Milojevic, A., Doherty, R., Wilkinson, P., Carruthers, D., Akbari, A., Lake, I., Davies, G., Sallakh, M., Fry, R., Dearden, L., & Rodgers, S. E. (2020). Impact of air pollution on educational attainment for respiratory health treated students: A cross sectional data linkage study. Health & Place, 63, 102355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohai, P., Kweon, B., Lee, S., & Ard, K. (2011). Air pollution around schools is linked to poorer student health and academic performance. Health Affairs, 30(5), 852–862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohai, P., Lantz, P. M., Morenoff, J. D., House, J. S., & Mero, R. P. (2009). Racial and socioeconomic disparities in residential proximity to polluting industrial facilities: Evidence from the Americans’ changing lives study. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohai, P., & Saha, R. (2006). Reassessing racial and socioeconomic disparities in environmental justice research. Demography, 43(2), 383–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohai, P., & Saha, R. (2007). Racial inequity in the distribution of hazardous waste: A national-level reassessment. Social Problems, 54(3), 343–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morello-Frosch, R., Zuk, M., Jerrett, M., Shamasunder, B., & Kyle, A. D. (2011). Understanding the cumulative impacts of inequalities in environmental health: Implications for policy. Health Affairs, 30(5), 879–887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Namdeo, A., & Stringer, C. (2008). Investigating the relationship between air pollution, health and social deprivation in Leeds UK. Environment International, 34(5), 585–591.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Noonan, D. S., Turaga, R. M., & Baden, B. M. (2009). Superfund, hedonics, and the scales of environmental justice. Environmental Management, 44(5), 909–920.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oakes, J. M., Anderton, D. L., & Anderson, A. B. (1996). A longitudinal analysis of environmental equity in communities with hazardous waste facilities. Social Science Research, 25(2), 125–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2016). The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution. . OECD Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang, W., Gao, B., Cheng, H., Hao, Z., & Wu, N. (2018). Exposure inequality assessment for PM2.5 and the potential association with environmental health in Beijing. Science of the Total Environment, 635, 769–778.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Padilla, C. M., Kihal-Talantikite, W., Vieira, V. M., Rossello, P., Le Nir, G., Zmirou-Navier, D., & Deguen, S. (2014). Air quality and social deprivation in four French metropolitan areas: A localized spatio-temporal environmental inequality analysis. Environmental Research, 134, 315–324.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, M., Sadd, J., & Morello-Frosch, R. (2002). Who’s minding the kids? Pollution, public schools, and environmental justice in Los Angeles. Social Science Quarterly, 83(1), 263–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, M., Sadd, J., & Morello-Frosch, R. (2004). Reading, writing and toxics: Children’s health, academic performance, and environmental justice in Los Angeles. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 22(2), 271–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellow, D. N. (2000). Environmental inequality formation: Toward a theory of environmental injustice. American Behavioral Scientist, 43(4), 581–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perlin, S. A., Setzer, R. W., Creason, J., & Sexton, K. (1995). Distribution of industrial air emissions by income and race in the United States: An approach using the toxic release inventory. Environmental Science & Technology, 29(1), 69–80.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pollock, P. H., & Vittas, M. E. (1995). Who bears the burdens of environmental pollution: Race, ethnicity, and environmental equity in Florida. Social Science Quarterly, 76(2), 294–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinquist, E. J. (1997). Equity and the distribution of environmental risk: The case of TRI facilities. Social Science Quarterly, 78, 811–829.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romero, H., Vásquez, A., Fuentes, C., Salgado, M., Schmidt, A., & Banzhaf, E. (2012). Assessing urban environmental segregation (UES): The case of Santiago de Chile. Ecological Indicators, 23, 76–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rüttenauer, T. (2018). Neighbours matter: A nation-wide small-area assessment of environmental inequality in Germany. Social Science Research, 70, 198–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samoli, E., Stergiopoulou, A., Santana, P., Rodopoulou, S., Mitsakou, C., Dimitroulopoulou, C., Bauwelinck, M., de Hoogh, K., Costa, C., Marí-Dell’Olmo, M., Corman, D., Vardoulakis, S., & Katsouyanni, K. (2019). Spatial variability in air pollution exposure in relation to socioeconomic indicators in nine European metropolitan areas: A study on environmental inequality. Environmental Pollution, 249, 345–353.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaeffer, Y., & Tivadar, M. (2019). Measuring environmental inequalities: Insights from the residential segregation literature. Ecological Economics, 164, 106329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoolman, E. D., & Ma, C. (2012). Migration, class and environmental inequality: Exposure to pollution in China’s Jiangsu Province. Ecological Economics, 75, 140–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schüle, S. A., Gabriel, K. M., & Bolte, G. (2017). Relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic position and neighbourhood public green space availability: An environmental inequality analysis in a large German city applying generalized linear models. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 220(4), 711–718.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao, S., Hu, Z., Cao, J., Guan, D., & Yang, L. (2020). Environmental regulation and enterprise innovation: A review. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(3), 1465–1478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, E. R., Leitner, H., Mcmaster, R. B., & Tian, H. O. (1999). GIS-based measures of environmental equity: Exploring their sensitivity and significance. Journal of Exposure Analysis & Environmental Epidemiology, 9(1), 18–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smiley, K. T. (2019). A polluting creed: Religion and environmental inequality in the United States. Sociological Perspectives, 62(6), 980–1000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szasz, A., & Meuser, M. (1997). Environmental inequalities: Literature review and proposals for new directions in research and theory. Current Sociology, 45(3), 99–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, S. (2015). Environmental regulations on air pollution in China and their impact on infant mortality. Journal of Health Economics, 42, 90–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian, Z., Tian, Y., Chen, Y., & Shao, S. (2020). The economic consequences of environmental regulation in China: From a perspective of the environmental protection admonishing talk policy. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(4), 1723–1733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tonne, C., Mila, C., Fecht, D., Alvarez, M., Gulliver, J., Smith, J., Beevers, S., Anderson, H. R., & Kelly, F. (2018). Socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in exposure to air and noise pollution in London. Environment International, 115, 170–179.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verbeek, T. (2019). Unequal residential exposure to air pollution and noise: A geospatial environmental justice analysis for Ghent Belgium. SSM-Population Health, 7, 100340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, G. (2012). Environmental justice: Concepts, evidence and politics. . Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2016). The cost of air pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action. Washington, DC.

  • World Health Organization (2018). 9 Out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air, but more countries are taking action. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action.

  • World Health Organization (2019). Environmental health inequalities in Europe: Second assessment report.

  • Wu, X., & Treiman, D. J. (2004). The household registration system and social stratification in China: 1955–1996. Demography, 41(2), 363–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, W., Liu, Y., Feng, K., Hubacek, K., Wang, J., Liu, M., Jiang, L., Jiang, H., Liu, N., Zhang, P., Zhou, Y., & Bi, J. (2018). Revealing environmental inequality hidden in China’s inter-regional trade. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(13), 7171–7181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, X., Zhang, S., & Fan, C. (2014). Environmental externality and inequality in China: Current status and future choices. Environmental Pollution, 190, 176–179.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, Z., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., Ferm, M., Liang, Y., & Norbäck, D. (2008). Asthmatic symptoms among pupils in relation to winter indoor and outdoor air pollution in schools in Taiyuan China. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(1), 90–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zivin, G. J., & Neidell, M. (2012). The impact of pollution on worker productivity. American Economic Review, 102(7), 3652–3673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwickl, K., Ash, M., & Boyce, J. K. (2014). Regional variation in environmental inequality: Industrial air toxics exposure in U.S. cities. Ecological Economics, 107, 494–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 71773075, 71922015, and 72004204), the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 18ZDA102), Shanghai Soft Science Research Program (No. 20692103100), and the Humanities Social Sciences Pre-Research Fund of Zhejiang University of Technology.

Funding

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 71773075, 71922015, and 72004204), the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 18ZDA102), Shanghai Soft Science Research Program (No. 20692103100), and the Humanities Social Sciences Pre-Research Fund of Zhejiang University of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China

    Shuai Shao

  2. School of Urban and Regional Science, Institute of Finance and Economics Research, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Shuai Shao & Liwen Liu

  3. School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, China

    Zhihua Tian

Authors
  1. Shuai Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Liwen Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhihua Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

SS done conceptualization, supervision, formal analysis, and writing—original draft; LL performed formal analysis, visualization, and writing—original draft; ZT was involved in conceptualization, supervision, formal analysis, and writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhihua Tian.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declared that there is no conflict of interest.

Consent for publication

All the authors consent to participate and consent to publish before reference in the manuscript.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shao, S., Liu, L. & Tian, Z. Does the environmental inequality matter? A literature review. Environ Geochem Health 44, 3133–3156 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-00921-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-00921-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation