Examining the association between socioeconomic status and exposure to carcinogenic emissions in gyeonggi of South Korea: A multi-level analysis

Abstract

Although South Korea introduced the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register system in 1996, there is relatively limited evidence on how socioeconomic status at both individual and municipal levels is associated with exposure to toxic chemicals in Korea because of limited data sources. Using a multi-level negative binomial model, this study examined the socioeconomic status of both individuals and municipalities with a higher level of exposure to carcinogenic emissions from industrial facilities in Gyeonggi province, South Korea. The results reveal that economic minority individuals (national basic livelihood security recipients, unemployed people, and tenants), municipalities with higher percentages of industrial land use, and foreign-born populations had more facilities that produce carcinogenic emissions. While similar findings have been reported by many environmental justice studies conducted in other countries, this is the first Korean case study that reports the relationship between socioeconomic status at both individual and municipal levels and exposure to toxic chemicals.