West Dallas Project Results
Following completion of the Joppa Environmental Health Project in the Joppa community (August 2023), project members met with Singleton United/Unidos and decided to perform a similar study in the Singleton Corridor located in West Dallas.
Things To Know About West Dallas:
West Dallas is surrounded by sources of PM pollution including GAF Materials, a large industrial plant that chemically treats fiberglass to make roof shingles. Operating for over 80 years in West Dallas, GAF is a significant source of local pollution which neighbors schools, daycares, churches and residents.
According to the EPA's National Pollution Rankings for Singleton,
PM Exposure WORST 3% in the U.S.
Air Toxics Cancer Risk WORST 4% in the U.S.
Air Toxics Respiratory WORST 3% in the U.S.
The Study Questions:
1.
What is the Singleton's Corridor exposure to PM2.5 outdoor air pollution?
2.
Are there health problems among West Dallas residents linked to PM2.5 outdoor air pollution?
How Was The Study Done?
01
Community Household Health Survey.
We created a health survey in both English and Spanish covering perceptions about air pollution in West Dallas and self-reporting symptoms (particularly respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD). The survey was taken via online or paper from July - December 2023.
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02
Measured PM2.5 Pollution from A Local Air Monitor.
We placed 1 SharedAirDFW monitor in the Singleton Corridor where we measured 24-hour (daily) averages of PM2.5 from July - December 2023.
Results
What Did We Find?
Past studies have shown that survey response rates are generally between 5-30%. Our excellent 38% survey response rate is due to our strong community engagement efforts + our on-the-ground canvassers.
Demographics of Survey Respondents
Residents' Attitudes About Air Pollution
Air pollution in West Dallas makes me and my family sick
Air quality in West Dallas is poor or very poor
Perceived Sources of Air Pollution
Respiratory Disease Symptoms
DFW asthma rate
Texas asthma rate
U.S.
asthma rate
U.S. Black asthma rate
West Dallas asthma rate
Air Monitor Results
1 SharedAirDFW monitor (Toronto St) was placed in West Dallas where the daily PM2.5 concentrations were measured from July - December 2023. Daily averages ranged from
6 to 222 ug/m3 during the study period. The black line indicates the raw averages whereas the blue dashed line indicates the adjusted/corrected averages after accounting for humidity and temperature factors. The red line indicates the EPA's daily standard for PM2.5 (35 ug/m3).
Daily concentrations from an EPA/TCEQ outdoor air monitor (Dallas Hinton) was measured as well. Daily averages ranged from 1 to 19 ug/m3 during the study period.
The red line indicates the EPA's daily standard for PM2.5 (35 ug/m3).
Conclusions
Singleton Corridor residents believe that they are breathing polluted air. They also believe that air pollution is harming them and their families.
And they're right.
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West Dallas residents breathe 11x as much daily PM2.5 air pollution as Dallas County's official EPA monitor.
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Surveyed residents have 4 to 5x the amount of asthma as the DFW average and high rates of other respiratory illnesses.