Poorest areas bear brunt of air pollution, US study shows

Evidence suggests least well-off and minority ethnic communities face biggest burden from toxic air

It has long been known that the poorest and those from minority ethnic communities shoulder the greatest burden from air pollution - and now a study has provided compelling evidence.

Researchers used sensors mounted on satellites and aircraft to map nitrogen dioxide across 11 major US cities. Clouds and snow on the ground prevented measurement on many days but the researchers were able to map the pollution exposure well enough to compare with census data.