It is said that the poor breath in polluted air, eat contaminated foods and walk in dirt infested streets. People living in poor or income areas go through. People living in these places have got the highest exposures to tiny particles or ingredients that are disposed off in these areas stand the risk of being affected in one way or the other (McGranahan & Murray 2012). The irony of all these is the fact that it is the rich who invest their industries in these areas thereby exposing the poor to calamities such as diseases.
Dumpsites are normally found in low income areas. Waste products from industries are normally disposed off in these areas and people living in and around these places are the ones who bear the brunt of having to live in areas filled with waste materials around them (McGranahan & Murray 2012). These neighborhoods are characterized by low education and high poverty levels therefore giving these inhabitants no room to get themselves out of the polluted areas and therefore having to stand health risks because they are subjected to pollution all round them.
Environmental racism is a disease that is propagated by the rich and the poor are always on the receiving end. There are greater chances that the exposed populaces end up with very dangerous components such as lead, zinc, nickel, nitrate and even vanadium (McGranahan & Murray 2012). With such chemicals inside these individuals, their life expectancy rates are also very low. Very high death rates due to pollution are the end result and it is quite unfortunate that this vice is a making of the elite and rich in society. Unless this changes, there is a big price to pay by the poor in our society.
Reference
McGranahan, G. & Murray, F. (2012). Air Pollution and Health in Rapidly Developing Countries. New York: Routledge
