A study examining air quality and respiratory health in communities surrounding the Salton Sea in Southern California shows how environmental conditions, poor housing quality, and structural inequities combine to place children at greater risk for respiratory illness.
The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland lake, has been shrinking as water inflows decline and temperatures rise. The exposed lakebed generates windblown dust that can worsen air quality and poses growing health concerns for nearby communities.
The study, conducted with 15 Latina mothers caring for children with asthma or other respiratory conditions, paired indoor air quality monitoring with a photovoice project that allowed caregivers to document and share their experiences through photographs and personal narratives.
The researchers, led by Ann Cheney, a professor of social medicine, population, and public health in the UCR School of Medicine, in collaboration with William Porter, an associate professor of atmospheric dynamics and modeling in the UCR College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, found that outdoor dust events significantly affected indoor air quality, at times doubling typical indoor particulate matter levels and forcing families to change their daily routines to protect their children.
“The biggest issue is not just dust exposure from the rapidly drying Salton Sea, but the structural inequities that place Latinx and Indigenous Mexican families in environments where they experience disproportionate exposure to poor air quality,” said Cheney, the senior author of the paper published in BMC Environmental Science. “Historical land-use decisions, agricultural practices, and inadequate housing along the sea have concentrated environmental risks in communities that already face social and economic disadvantage.”
Project participants described the daily challenges of protecting children from dust and pollution that routinely enter their homes.
“When it is windy, my daughter has problems with allergies,” one participant said. “The sand is so fine that it manages to enter our homes through the windows, through the doors, even if they are sealed. Obviously, it harms our children.”
The researchers found that many families respond to poor air quality by keeping children indoors, particularly during dust storms and periods of extreme heat. These environmental conditions can affect school attendance, caregivers’ ability to work, and overall quality of life.
By combining scientific air quality measurements with caregiver-generated photographs and stories, the study shows that particulate matter exposure is both measurable and deeply embedded in the everyday experiences of families living in environmental justice communities, such as the Salton Sea region.
The findings underscore the need for public health policies that improve housing quality, expand environmental health education, increase access to air filtration technologies, and strengthen support for children and families living in environmentally burdened communities.
“Environmental health disparities are not simply the result of individual choices,” said Ashley Trinidad, the first author of the paper and a graduate student working with Cheney and Porter. “They reflect broader social and environmental conditions that shape where people live, the quality of their housing, and the air their children breathe every day.”
As part of the project’s commitment to community engagement and social action, the researchers developed both digital and physical photovoice galleries featuring participants’ photographs and narratives. The physical exhibit was presented during a public meeting that brought together residents, policymakers, and a congressional representative to discuss the health impacts of environmental conditions around the Salton Sea.
Cheney called for investments that address the root causes of these disparities.
“We must move beyond documenting disparities and invest in environmental justice solutions,” she said. “This includes reducing dust emissions from the Salton Sea, improving housing conditions, strengthening environmental regulations, and ensuring that affected communities have a meaningful voice in decision-making processes that shape their health and environment.”
Cheney, Trinidad, and Porter were joined in the study by Sophia Rodriguez and Gabriela Ortiz at UCR; and Maria Pozar at Conchita Servicios de la Comunidad.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.
The title of the paper is “A Mixed-Methods Study of Indoor Air Quality on Children’s Respiratory Health and Quality of Life.”
Header image shows an aerial view of a dust storm overrunning the Imperial Valley, California. The Salton Sea can be seen upper left. (NNehring/Getty Images)
