Honors Theses (Environmental Studies Program)

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BIOMAGNIFICATION AND BIOACCUMULATION OF POLLUTANTS AND HOW THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THE PEOPLE OF “CANCER ALLEY”
(University of Oregon, 2020-06) Gyetvai, Abigail M.
This honors thesis examines the environmental, sociopolitical, and socioeconomical aspects of Cancer Alley, Louisiana, United States of America. Cancer Alley is a name dubbed to an eighty-five-mile-long corridor in Louisiana that is dotted with petrochemical plants that continuously poison its residents. The people living in this area are primarily lower-income, people of color who disproportionately face the full force of environmental ills that the petrochemical factories bring. The case of Cancer Alley is layered and delves into not only environmental issues – such as pollution and how various chemicals can move throughout the body, but it also deals with human rights issues and how the disempowered and disenfranchised residents in the area are being exploited due to their powerlessness. Various chemical pollutants have been emitted into the Cancer Alley air, land, and water, contributing to the worsening conditions of the area. The primary findings from this research have been that the more marginalized the group living within Cancer Alley, the more likely they are to be at risk for cancer and various other diseases. This honors thesis concludes with the application of my proposed solutions to alleviating environmental justice legislative issues surrounding Cancer Alley.