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As goods of all shapes and sizes journey from factory to doorstep, chances are they've stopped at a warehouse along the way—likely several of them. The sprawling structures are waypoints in the logistics networks that make e-commerce possible. Yet the convenience comes with tradeoffs, as illustrated in a recent study.

Published in the journal GeoHealth, the research analyzes patterns of particulate pollution in Southern California and found that ZIP codes with more or larger warehouses had higher levels of contaminants over time than those with fewer or smaller warehouses. Researchers focused on particulate pollution, choosing Southern California because it is a major distribution hub for goods: Its ports handle 40% of cargo containers entering the country.

"Any increase in concentration causes some health damage," said co-author Yang Liu, an environmental health researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. "But if you can curb pollution, there will be a measurable health benefit."

Growing air quality research

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