Tag Archives: Detroit Pollution

Do Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Play a Part in why Detroit has the Worst Preterm Birth Rate Among Major U.S. Cities?

by Drawing Detroit | Leave a comment

According to the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card for Michigan, the preterm birth rate for the State of Michigan improved between 2022 and 2023 but worsened in the City of Detroit and Macomb, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. “Preterm birth” refers to infants who are born prior to 37 weeks of gestation. As shown in the image below, Detroit received an F grade and had the worst rate of the 100 U.S. cities with the most live births at 15.6 percent in 2023.

Earlier data provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through 2021, also shows that preterm births for Detroit and Macomb, Washtenaw and Wayne counties has been increasing in recent years. However, since 2000, the percent of preterm births in five of the counties in the region has increased. This earlier data shows that preterm births in Detroit were recorded at 12.9 percent in 2021. Detroit has consistently had the highest percentage of preterm births in the region, and the state.  And, as noted above, Detroit had the worst preterm rate of the 100 U.S. cities with the most live births at 15.6 percent in 2023.

  Oakland and Wayne (excluding Detroit) counties also experienced slight decreases in the percentage of preterm births between 2000 and 2021. 

Among birthing people, the most common factors associated with preterm births are smoking, hypertension, diabetes and an unhealthy weight. Environmental pollution resulting in poor air quality, climate change impacts such as extreme heat, and exposure to contaminants in drinking water have also been linked to increased preterm births. Leaking underground storage tanks (USTs), introduced in a previous post, can be a significant source for pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spreading through the soil and impacting drinking water sources.   

Researchers affiliated with the WSU Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness (CLEAR) are studying the impacts of VOCs on preterm birth, testing the hypothesis that VOCs traveling through the soil may be related to VOC levels in homes. The CLEAR project teams are investigating the levels of VOC contamination in the air in homes, in plants and their water sources and in the soil, establishing innovative monitoring and remediation strategies, modeling the effects of VOC exposure on zebrafish and placental mammals to unveil ways to reduce preterm births in humans, and measuring the association of VOCs with preterm births in the human population in Detroit. 

The map below presents preliminary evidence of VOCs, in particular, benzene in homes in Detroit, based on testing by CLEAR. Benzene is a colorless chemical that is often a liquid or, at room temperature, a gas. It smells sweet, but it can be a human carcinogen when people are exposed over the long-term. Over the short term it can cause nausea, dizziness and headaches. It is also one of the chemicals that CLEAR is assessing relative to preterm births. Benzene, as a vapor, can intrude into homes from underground. Smoking can also produce benzene in a home. 

Another research team at WSU) is currently investigating the possible indirect link between exposure to PFAS, resulting bacterial infections, and preterm birth. According to a synopsis of the Wayne State University PFAS-Pre-term Birth Study, the forthcoming research will focus on the “placenta as a major target of PFAS toxicity.” The placenta is a maternal organ that provides nutrients from the mother’s blood and passes them to the baby’s blood through the umbilical cord. The Wayne State Study will examine different regions of the placenta to see which cell types are affected by the PFAS. 

Due in part to this research, the risks associated with human exposure to VOCs and PFAS contamination have been made more public in recent years. However, many remain unaware of the potential hazards posed by leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) on water quality, and thus on human health (Marcus, 2021)

According to a 2021 study conducted by Vanderbilt University professor Michelle Marcus focused on sites in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey, exposure to a leaking UST while pregnant increased the probability of preterm births by between 7 and 8 percent. Marcus also found that the probability of exposure dropped by 16.5 percent after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed regulations mandating that owners of USTs protect against spills, overfilling, and corrosion.

Both individual and environmental factors associated with preterm births are likely more severe for those with greater levels of social vulnerability. Communities at or above the 90th percentile for density of active USTs and releases are considered “disadvantaged,” according to the federal government’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) provides an interactive map of these areas, which are concentrated primarily in Detroit and other urbanized census tracts in the metropolitan area.

Continued study is needed to determine just how much of a factor leaking USTs might play in Detroit’s high preterm birth rate. Going forward, this will first require that leaks and releases be identified in the most vulnerable census tracts and that this information be disseminated to nearby residents. Marcus (2021) found in her study that birthing people living closest to USTs were more likely to be younger, non-white, and less educated. The EPA has developed guidelines for states on how to tailor engagement with residents about leaking USTs, but local governments with closer ties to neighborhoods should also communicate about the risks of exposure.

Academic References

Marcus, M. (2021). Going beneath the surface: Petroleum pollution, regulation, and health. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 13 (1), 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20190130 

Environmental Injustices Continue in Detroit

by Drawing Detroit | Leave a comment

Environmental injustice occurs when certain populations, typically those who are marginalized, and the environment are both harmed from certain actions. We have seen this occur with the Flint water crisis and we continue to witness it right here in Detroit. While pollution can come in many forms, it is air pollution that we are focusing on in this post and what is at least one factor in Detroit’s environmental injustice.

Before we dive into some of the sources of Detroit’s air pollution it is important to understand Detroit’s socioeconomic makeup. With a population of about 620,000 residents, 78 percent of the population is black, nearly 25 percent of the population is under the age of 18 and 32 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the US Census Bureau.

Furthermore, according to the University of Michigan School of Public Health it is estimated that air pollution kills more than 650 Detroiters a year, with thousands more being hospitalized and children missing a disproportionate number of days at school because of illnesses and asthma.

According to the 2021 update on the State of Michigan’s “Detroit: The Current Status of Asthma Burden,” the asthma rate of the in the City of Detroit in 2019 was four times higher than the State of Michigan’s rate. Additionally, there were 1,458 asthma hospitalizations of Detroit residents in 2019.

Between 2017 and 2019, 71 Detroit residents died due to asthma. The rate of asthma mortality among Detroit residents was 31.4 per 1,000,000 population. The rate of asthma mortality in Detroit in 2017-2019 was about three times the rate for Michigan as a whole.

Now, when further digging into asthma rates el, the “Detroit: The Current Status of Asthma Burden,” states that in 2019, the rate of asthma hospitalization among Detroit’s Black population was 31 per 10,000 while the rate among Detroit’s white population was 7.9 per 10,000.  Asthma hospitalization among Detroit Blacks were over three times that of Detroit whites. Michigan Blacks had over five times the hospitalization rate of Michigan whites.

According to the American Lung Association, the exact cause of asthma remains unknown, but there are certain factors that play a role in developing the disease. These factors include family history, allergies, viral respiratory infections, obesity, smoking, certain jobs and air pollution, especially including dust and mold.

As noted in our last post, there are several secondary particle pollution sources that have a negative impact on the area’s air quality in Metro-Detroit. According to climatetrace.org, a global non-profit organization that independently traces greenhouse gas emissions, some of the area’s highest emitters are an oil refinery, two steel plants, an airport and a powerplant. These emitters are:

Marathon Petroleum CO Detroit:

Ranked 378/80,188 Worldwide: for Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2E)

Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Steel Plant

Ranked 296/80,188: for Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2E)

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Ranked 917/80,188 for Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2E)

Gerdau Monroe Steel Plant

Ranked 1,450/80,188 for Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2E)

Monroe Michigan Power Plant (DTE)

Ranked 37/80,188 for Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2E)

Other secondary sources that contribute to particle pollutants in the Metro-Detroit are the the Mistersky and River Rouge power plants, highways, the Ambassador Bridge and Stellantis manufacturing plants in Warren and on Detroit’s eastside.

The media has long reported the history of the Detroit’s 48217 ZIP code, which is located in Southwest Detroit. With the Marathon plant and the DTE Delray and Mistersky powerplants, along with nearby highways and international trucking routes (Ambassador Bridge and soon to be Gordie Hower International Bridge), the amount of air pollution in this area is at concerning levels.

According to a recent released by the University of Michigan School of Public Health, between 2016-2021 the major source of PM2.5 ( which is fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller) in the area was “mobile sources of emissions,” or vehicle exhaust and construction equipment, at 40 percent. Industrial sources of emissions also contributed a “sizable” amount to the PM2.5 levels, but were on the decline due to recent closures of coal-burning power plants and other facilities in the area.

Another area of growing concern is Detroit’s eastside, where the Stellantis production plant has not only grown to two production lines, but the amount of traffic has also increased due to the addition of a logistics warehouse that services the Stellantis plant. As has been noted in this and previous air quality posts, high traffic and industrial areas are major factors in both environmental pollution and an individual’s health.

So, what we know thus far is that Detroit is a primarily a city composed of minorities, particularly African-Americans and Hiuspanics with a lower median income than neighboring communities in Southeast Michigan. We also know that in Detroit there are pockets of dedicated space for industry, whether it be manufacturing plants, power plants or other forms that push PM2.5 into the air. Poor air quality is not only a major concern for many Detroit residents, but also a reality. This type of environmental injustice has led to severe health problems for thousands of residents, both children and adults.

With strong regulations, from zoning to emission standards and even traffic regulations, we can work toward alleviating environmental injustices. However, as we continue to see at an increasing rate, pollution and other negative impacts on the environment have a long-lasting impact. Advocating for and taking steps to implement equitable solutions when it comes to housing, education and access to jobs is crucial.