How Poisonous Is Your Air? Depends on Your Race

Today’s Outrageous Fact
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How Poisonous Is Your Air? Depends on Your Race

Thanks to modern racial segregation we still have separate and unequal schools across America, and now a University of Minnesota study shows that if you’re white, the air you breathe is less poisonous too. That’s because nitrogen dioxide exposure drastically varies depending on what neighborhood you live in. Overall, people of color breathe in 46 percent more NO2, which is spewed out by vehicles and power plants, than white people every year. New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit are among the top urban areas where NO2 exposure levels differ most for whites and people of color.