Communities in Southeastern Louisiana, home to many fossil fuel and petrochemical facilities, are at greater risk of developing cancer because of air pollution than previously thought, a new study published Monday by the National Academy of Sciences found.
Scientists from Aerodyne Research and Johns Hopkins University used mobile labs to monitor air quality between Baton Rouge and New Orleans in February 2023, capturing data from 17 toxic air pollutants at all times of day. They discovered the risk of developing cancer in that area—known as “Cancer Alley” since the 1980s—are up to 11 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s ...