Investigating the Impact of Soil NOx on Air Quality in Rural Agricultural Communities: A Call to Action for Environmental Justice in California

Disadvantaged communities in rural agricultural areas throughout the San Joaquin Valley (SJVAB) and Salton Sea Air Basins (SSAB) disproportionately bear the impacts of poor air quality, despite years of regulatory efforts to reduce pollution from combustion sources. Evidence shows that there is an overlooked, unregulated pollution source affecting these areas. The influence of soil NOx emissions on air pollution in agricultural regions has come under scrutiny in recent years and is a potential candidate as an underestimated pollution source. However, despite many public comments and letters emphasizing the critical nature of this issue, little has been done toward investigating and regulating this putative source of air pollution. Here, we present a policy brief in representation of underserved communities in the SJVAB and SSAB of California, providing evidence from peer-reviewed research that supports this claim and offering regulatory recommendations to mitigate the overlooked source. We believe that through activating community organizations, farmers, policymakers, and scientists, we may work together to find solutions that will result in bringing these rural (and adjacent urban) areas into compliance with the Clean Air Act.