2024 article
Socioeconomic Bias in Water Quality Monitoring in the U.S. South Atlantic-Gulf Region
Oates, C. C., Grieger, K., Emanuel, R., & Nelson, N. G. (2024, July 25).
open access via doi.org (repository)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
(OpenAlex)
Source: ORCID
Added: August 1, 2024
In this study, we sought to address the question: Are water quality monitoring stations proportionally distributed across communities of varying social vulnerability? We specifically focus on nutrient monitoring of surface waters in the South Atlantic-Gulf region, a water-rich area with diverse land uses and communities spanning the social vulnerability spectrum. We used data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Storage and Retrieval database (2020-2022) to compare station locations to census tract-scale metrics from the U.S. Center for Disease Control Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and hydrography from the USGS. Statistical analyses revealed significant disproportionate distributions in monitoring station placement, with more monitoring stations in lower vulnerability areas and fewer in highly vulnerable areas. Stations were also clustered in areas of similar SVI values; areas were less likely to be monitored if they were near areas of differing SVI.