West Dallas residents are exposed to more air pollution than rest of county, study says

West dallas residents are exposed to 11 times as much air pollution and have asthma rates four to five times higher than the rest of Dallas County, according to a new study conducted by the Texas A&M School of Public Health.

Scientists examined the relationship between air pollution and public health in the Singleton Corridor in West Dallas, using a survey of 86 households combined with data from air monitors built by the University of Texas at Dallas.

Related:What pollutants are West Dallas residents being exposed to? The EPA aims to find out

The study goes beyond “just testimonies, what people verbally say, what their symptoms are, what they’re experiencing,” said Janie Cisneros, leader of Singleton United/Unidos, a neighborhood group fighting for air quality in West Dallas. The study puts “numbers and power behind this to show what people are going through.”

Community leaders want city officials to shut down businesses that residents say are polluting their neighborhood and making them sick.

Some residents say GAF, an asphalt shingle manufacturer in West Dallas, is the biggest polluter, and they want the plant to shut down. GAF has already announced it will cease operations and move to Kansas in 2029. For West Dallas residents, that date is too far away.

Related:Dallas environmental activists block GAF entrance to draw attention to Earth Day 2024

“GAF has not had an opportunity to review the information shared tonight, but we take this opportunity to reiterate the fact that GAF is a good operator and has complied with the terms of its air permits,” said a GAF spokesperson via email.

“GAF has been inspected numerous times by various agencies,” including the city of Dallas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “in recent years and there have been no notices of violation issued,” the GAF spokesperson said.

Johnson, the A&M researcher, said in an interview the industrial facilities around West Dallas, including the train tracks and its traffic, release particulate matter.

These particles come in many shapes and sizes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.

Johnson said any exposure to particulate matter is not safe for human health.

“From a scientific standpoint, immediate reductions in particulate matter can have immediate health improvements,” Johnson told The News. “That’s why the timeline is really important to protect public health.”

Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the EPA. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into the lungs and some may even get into the bloodstream.

María Ortiz, 45, who has lived behind the West Dallas Multipurpose Center for 26 years, is concerned about her children’s health and what they are exposed to. “I hope these results shared tonight will wake up more people to take action and ask their city officials to do something to protect our health,” said Ortiz, who participated in the study.

Pollution levels in West Dallas

The project analyzed the data from an air monitor located at King Bridge Crossing, about 600 feet from GAF.

From July to December 2023, the monitor captured the daily levels of particulate matter that residents are exposed to. The results showed that West Dallas residents had been exposed 11 times more than the Dallas County average.

During the study period, the monitor exceeded the EPA’s 24-hour particulate matter exposure standard an average of more than once a week. The monitor exceeded the 24-hour particulate matter exposure standard of the World Health Organization by an average of once every 1.5 days.

Residents sign up past a sign during a community meeting to learn the results of a public health study conducted to understand the impact of batch plants pollution on their daily lives, on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at West Dallas Multipurpose Center. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

These results were compared to another monitor located four miles away on Hinton Street.

In the study period, the Hinton Street monitor recorded no violations of the EPA’s 24-hour standard, according to the study. And the monitor only exceeded the World Health Organization standard eight times.

“Difference in geographic location can make a significant difference in the local air quality,” said Johnson. “This can have a severe impact on resident’s respiratory health effects.”

Related:Higher levels of air pollution, asthma found in Dallas’ Joppa neighborhood, study finds

Caleb Roberts, executive director of Downwinders at Risk, a local organization that advocates for environmental justice and clean air, said West Dallas residents were exposed to environmental racism.

“These residents are exposed to noise and pollution at higher levels than other Dallas residents,” said Roberts. “There are five different types of polluters in the neighborhood. The train tracks, batch plants, GAF, road traffic and other industrial polluters within a mile of each other contribute to the pollution of the neighborhood.”

Community survey

The survey was conducted in English and Spanish. During the six-month period, certified volunteers went door-to-door and held several community events to collect the information.

Related:Floral Farm residents want to avoid future environmental injustices in southern Dallas

Among survey participants, about 61% of the respondents were females, 72% were Black, 35% were aged 65 years or older and 42% had been living in the area for more than 15 years.

In the survey, 34% of the participants said they had asthma. The state average is 7.6%, and the national average is 13.5%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also in the survey, 42% of residents said they were diagnosed with a respiratory disease within the last year, while 34% said they were hospitalized for such and 86% reported their respiratory symptoms had gotten worse since moving to the area.

Diane Smith with Citizens for Environmental Justice raises her hand to ask a question during a community meeting to learn the results of a public health study conducted to understand the impact of air pollution on their daily lives, on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at West Dallas Multipurpose Center. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

In the survey, 60% said air quality is poor or very poor, and 84% said air pollution makes them and their families sick. Meanwhile, 84% believe that nearby industries have an impact on air pollution.

Diane Smith, 71, a longtime West Dallas resident, expressed frustration at the city officials’ lack of action to address her health concerns related to the pollution.

“Historically, we have been burdened with environmental injustices,” Smith said. “They [city officials] know what we have been exposed to. We, our children, our grandchildren, and those who will come after us. We cannot allow history to repeat itself here.”

In November 2023, the EPA announced it would conduct a study of the quality of air, water, fish tissue and soil in West Dallas to determine whether residents are exposed to high levels of pollutants. The study started in December 2023 and will conclude in July. The results will be shared at a community meeting in August.

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