Something that makes sense, but developers will probably deny: The air in communities by large warehouses is more polluted than elsewhere, and this pollution can even be detected from satellites in space (satellite data)!
Researchers examined nitrogen dioxide levels around 149,075 warehouses in the U.S. They found that communities with warehouses were exposed to an average of 17.9% more nitrogen dioxide than other communities. Of course, other chemicals are also released from diesel truck engines, but the other chemicals were not looked at.
Of course, people living near these huge warehouses already know that the presence of warehouses have an impact on air quality and therefore health. Think of all the truck traffic that goes along with the warehouses. Some big health effects: increase in asthma, other respiratory diseases, and even premature death.
One big way air pollution around warehouses can be reduced is the use of electric vehicles and trucks (instead of polluting diesel engines), and to have monitoring of gases and chemicals released from the buildings. (Right now there is very little oversight).
Several sources for this story (including the original from Milken Institute School of Public Health) are below:
People living in communities with warehouses can breathe in 17.9% more toxic nitrogen dioxide on average than those not near them, according to a recent study.
Warehouses are major pollution sources and are disproportionately located in areas with large minority and marginalized populations, the study found.
The researchers studied 149,075 warehouses to assess nitrogen dioxide levels around them. They also noted that communities with warehouses had 69.5% more Black residents and 59.7% more Hispanic residents than the national median.
Warehouse pollution largely comes from heavy truck traffic near loading docks and parking areas. Despite the significant toxins released through warehouse operations, governments have regulated this pollution less than that of power plants and factories, Kerr noted.