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Winker R, Payton A, Brown E, McDermott E, Freedman JH, Lenhardt C, Eaves LA, Fry RC, Rager JE. Wildfires and climate justice: future wildfire events predicted to disproportionally impact socioeconomically vulnerable communities in North Carolina. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1339700. [PMID: 38741908 PMCID: PMC11089107 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildfire events are becoming increasingly common across many areas of the United States, including North Carolina (NC). Wildfires can cause immediate damage to properties, and wildfire smoke conditions can harm the overall health of exposed communities. It is critical to identify communities at increased risk of wildfire events, particularly in areas with that have sociodemographic disparities and low socioeconomic status (SES) that may exacerbate incurred impacts of wildfire events. This study set out to: (1) characterize the distribution of wildfire risk across NC; (2) implement integrative cluster analyses to identify regions that contain communities with increased vulnerability to the impacts of wildfire events due to sociodemographic characteristics; (3) provide summary-level statistics of populations with highest wildfire risk, highlighting SES and housing cost factors; and (4) disseminate wildfire risk information via our online web application, ENVIROSCAN. Wildfire hazard potential (WHP) indices were organized at the census tract-level, and distributions were analyzed for spatial autocorrelation via global and local Moran's tests. Sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed via k-means analysis to identify clusters with distinct SES patterns to characterize regions of similar sociodemographic/socioeconomic disparities. These SES groupings were overlayed with housing and wildfire risk profiles to establish patterns of risk across NC. Resulting geospatial analyses identified areas largely in Southeastern NC with high risk of wildfires that were significantly correlated with neighboring regions with high WHP, highlighting adjacent regions of high risk for future wildfire events. Cluster-based analysis of SES factors resulted in three groups of regions categorized through distinct SES profiling; two of these clusters (Clusters 2 and 3) contained indicators of high SES vulnerability. Cluster 2 contained a higher percentage of younger (<5 years), non-white, Hispanic and/or Latino residents; while Cluster 3 had the highest mean WHP and was characterized by a higher percentage of non-white residents, poverty, and less than a high school education. Counties of particular SES and WHP-combined vulnerability include those with majority non-white residents, tribal communities, and below poverty level households largely located in Southeastern NC. WHP values per census tract were dispersed to the public via the ENVIROSCAN application, alongside other environmentally-relevant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Winker
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Alexis Payton
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Eric Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Elena McDermott
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jonathan H. Freedman
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Chris Lenhardt
- Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Lauren A. Eaves
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Julia E. Rager
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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2
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Casey JA, Daouda M, Babadi RS, Do V, Flores NM, Berzansky I, González DJ, Van Horne YO, James-Todd T. Methods in Public Health Environmental Justice Research: a Scoping Review from 2018 to 2021. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:312-336. [PMID: 37581863 PMCID: PMC10504232 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00406-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The volume of public health environmental justice (EJ) research produced by academic institutions increased through 2022. However, the methods used for evaluating EJ in exposure science and epidemiologic studies have not been catalogued. Here, we completed a scoping review of EJ studies published in 19 environmental science and epidemiologic journals from 2018 to 2021 to summarize research types, frameworks, and methods. RECENT FINDINGS We identified 402 articles that included populations with health disparities as a part of EJ research question and met other inclusion criteria. Most studies (60%) evaluated EJ questions related to socioeconomic status (SES) or race/ethnicity. EJ studies took place in 69 countries, led by the US (n = 246 [61%]). Only 50% of studies explicitly described a theoretical EJ framework in the background, methods, or discussion and just 10% explicitly stated a framework in all three sections. Among exposure studies, the most common area-level exposure was air pollution (40%), whereas chemicals predominated personal exposure studies (35%). Overall, the most common method used for exposure-only EJ analyses was main effect regression modeling (50%); for epidemiologic studies the most common method was effect modification (58%), where an analysis evaluated a health disparity variable as an effect modifier. Based on the results of this scoping review, current methods in public health EJ studies could be bolstered by integrating expertise from other fields (e.g., sociology), conducting community-based participatory research and intervention studies, and using more rigorous, theory-based, and solution-oriented statistical research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan A. Casey
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA USA
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Misbath Daouda
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Ryan S. Babadi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Vivian Do
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Nina M. Flores
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Isa Berzansky
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - David J.X. González
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | | | - Tamarra James-Todd
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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3
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Varshavsky JR, Rayasam SDG, Sass JB, Axelrad DA, Cranor CF, Hattis D, Hauser R, Koman PD, Marquez EC, Morello-Frosch R, Oksas C, Patton S, Robinson JF, Sathyanarayana S, Shepard PM, Woodruff TJ. Current practice and recommendations for advancing how human variability and susceptibility are considered in chemical risk assessment. Environ Health 2023; 21:133. [PMID: 36635753 PMCID: PMC9835253 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A key element of risk assessment is accounting for the full range of variability in response to environmental exposures. Default dose-response methods typically assume a 10-fold difference in response to chemical exposures between average (healthy) and susceptible humans, despite evidence of wider variability. Experts and authoritative bodies support using advanced techniques to better account for human variability due to factors such as in utero or early life exposure and exposure to multiple environmental, social, and economic stressors.This review describes: 1) sources of human variability and susceptibility in dose-response assessment, 2) existing US frameworks for addressing response variability in risk assessment; 3) key scientific inadequacies necessitating updated methods; 4) improved approaches and opportunities for better use of science; and 5) specific and quantitative recommendations to address evidence and policy needs.Current default adjustment factors do not sufficiently capture human variability in dose-response and thus are inadequate to protect the entire population. Susceptible groups are not appropriately protected under current regulatory guidelines. Emerging tools and data sources that better account for human variability and susceptibility include probabilistic methods, genetically diverse in vivo and in vitro models, and the use of human data to capture underlying risk and/or assess combined effects from chemical and non-chemical stressors.We recommend using updated methods and data to improve consideration of human variability and susceptibility in risk assessment, including the use of increased default human variability factors and separate adjustment factors for capturing age/life stage of development and exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors. Updated methods would result in greater transparency and protection for susceptible groups, including children, infants, people who are pregnant or nursing, people with disabilities, and those burdened by additional environmental exposures and/or social factors such as poverty and racism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Varshavsky
- Department of Health Sciences and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Carl F Cranor
- Department of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Dale Hattis
- The George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patricia D Koman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Oksas
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Joshua F Robinson
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Owusu C, Flanagan B, Lavery AM, Mertzlufft CE, McKenzie BA, Kolling J, Lewis B, Dunn I, Hallisey E, Lehnert EA, Fletcher K, Davis RT, Conn M, Owen LR, Smith MM, Dent A. Developing a granular scale environmental burden index (EBI) for diverse land cover types across the contiguous United States. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155908. [PMID: 35588849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Critical to identifying the risk of environmentally driven disease is an understanding of the cumulative impact of environmental conditions on human health. Here we describe the methodology used to develop an environmental burden index (EBI). The EBI is calculated at U.S. census tract level, a finer scale than many similar national-level tools. EBI scores are also stratified by tract land cover type as per the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), controlling for urbanicity. The EBI was developed over the course of four stages: 1) literature review to identify potential indicators, 2) data source acquisition and indicator variable construction, 3) index creation, and 4) stratification by land cover type. For each potential indicator, data sources were assessed for completeness, update frequency, and availability. These indicators were: (1) particulate matter (PM2.5), (2) ozone, (3) Superfund National Priority List (NPL) locations, (4) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, (5) Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facilities, (6) recreational parks, (7) railways, (8) highways, (9) airports, and (10) impaired water sources. Indicators were statistically normalized and checked for collinearity. For each indicator, we computed and summed percentile ranking scores to create an overall ranking for each tract. Tracts having the same plurality of land cover type form a 'peer' group. We re-ranked the tracts into percentiles within each peer group for each indicator. The percentile scores were combined for each tract to obtain a stratified EBI. A higher score reveals a tract with increased environmental burden relative to other tracts of the same peer group. We compared our results to those of related indices, finding good convergent validity between the overall EBI and CalEnviroScreen 4.0. The EBI has many potential applications for research and use as a tool to develop public health interventions at a granular scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Owusu
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Barry Flanagan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Amy M Lavery
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Emergency Management, USA.
| | - Caitlin E Mertzlufft
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Benjamin A McKenzie
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Jessica Kolling
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA
| | - Brian Lewis
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Ian Dunn
- The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Elaine Hallisey
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Erica Adams Lehnert
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Kelly Fletcher
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Ryan T Davis
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Michel Conn
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Lance R Owen
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Melissa M Smith
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
| | - Andrew Dent
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Center for Environmental Health, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, USA.
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5
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Buse CG, Bezzola A, Brubacher J, Takaro TK, Fredeen AL, Parkes MW. Cumulative Impacts of Diverse Land Uses in British Columbia, Canada: Application of the "EnviroScreen" Method. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11171. [PMID: 36141471 PMCID: PMC9517321 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(1) Objectives: Cumulative impacts refer to the legacies of land use decisions on environmental, community and health values. New integrative impact assessment tools are required to assess cumulative impacts on diverse values to meet sustainability goals in the 21st century. In this contribution, the CalEnviroScreen methodology-a screening tool capable of merging environmental, socioeconomic and health data-is applied to Local Health Areas in British Columbia, Canada. (2) Methods: The CalEnviroScreen is a method that standardizes environmental, socioeconomic and health data to depict an indicator's percentile rank in the distribution of all units of analysis. The method combines indicators to measure four dimensions of pressure: environmental exposures, environmental effects, socioeconomic conditions, and sensitive populations (i.e., health outcomes). We create two versions of EnviroScreen: one following the CalEnviroScreen suite of indicators, and another that uses nuanced indicators to approximate the realities of industrial land uses present in British Columbia. BCEnviroScreen scores are plotted by race/ethnicity to understand potential racial inequities in cumulative exposures. (3) Results: The BCEnviroScreen has a greater likelihood of quantifying the cumulative impacts of diverse industries and land uses present across resource-dependent parts of the province, relative to the more urban-centric CalEnviroScreen indicator suite. Analyzing the distribution of BCEnviroScreen scores by race/ethnicity suggests that visible minority populations may be inequitably exposed to cumulative impacts in BC. (4) Conclusion: EnviroScreen tools hold significant potential to influence Canadian environmental health policy. This research demonstrates the applicability of the tool to British Columbia and other jurisdictions, illustrates how indicators can be tailored to better represent regional context, and shows how the tool can be used to screen for potential environmental health injustices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris G. Buse
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Aita Bezzola
- School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Jordan Brubacher
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Tim K. Takaro
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Arthur L. Fredeen
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Margot W. Parkes
- School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Developing Toxic Metal Environmental Justice Indices (TM-EJIs) for Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Manganese Contamination in Private Drinking Wells in North Carolina. WATER 2022; 14. [DOI: 10.3390/w14132088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Toxic metal exposure via private drinking wells is an environmental health challenge in North Carolina (NC). Policies tainted by environmental racism shape who has access to public water supplies, with Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color (BIPOC) often excluded from municipal services. Thus, toxic metal exposure via private wells is an environmental justice (EJ) issue, and it is under-studied in NC. In this study, we developed four Toxic Metal Environmental Justice Indices (TM-EJIs) for inorganic arsenic (iAs), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) to quantitatively identify areas of environmental injustice in NC. TM-EJIs were calculated at the census tract level (n = 2038) as the product of the following: (1) number of well water tests with concentrations exceeding national standards, (2) percentage of the low-income and minority population, and (3) population density. Mn had the greatest proportion (25.17%) of positive TM-EJIs, which are indicative of socioeconomically disadvantaged groups exposed to toxic metals. Positive TM-EJIs, particularly for Pb and Mn, were primarily located in eastern NC. These results highlight several new counties of concern and can be used by public health professionals and state environmental agencies to prioritize remediation efforts and efforts to reduce environmental injustices.
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Persad-Clem R, Hoerster KD, Romano EFT, Huizar N, Maier KJ. Climate to COVID, global to local, policies to people: a biopsychosocial ecological framework for syndemic prevention and response in behavioral medicine. Transl Behav Med 2022; 12:516-525. [PMID: 35613005 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibac021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Land development, pollution, and waste have affected natural environments, contributing to hurricanes, wildfires, and pandemic infectious diseases like COVID-19. Globalized corporate food systems that produce ultra-refined foods with low nutritional value contribute to both environmental conditions and health conditions like obesity and undernutrition. This has the greatest impact on communities already suffering from elevated health risks driven by economic inequities rooted in racism. These interacting environmental, health, and social conditions represent a syndemic. We outline practical suggestions to address this syndemic of environmental degradation, pandemic infectious disease, chronic disease, undernutrition, and inequity through research and practice at many levels, including individual behavior, local communities, and regional, national and global policy. Collaboration with communities is central to simultaneously tackling interconnected human and environmental health threats. For example, community-led groups have increased access to healthy food in response to pandemic conditions. Building on behavioral medicine's rich foundation of ecological models, communities have partnered with local researchers to address the needs of equitable public transport and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through multilevel research and practice. Policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and community members should collaborate with each other and across disciplines to find lasting, multiduty solutions to improve physical, psychosocial, and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Persad-Clem
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, School of Graduate Education, Scranton, PA 18509, USA
| | - Katherine D Hoerster
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle Division, Mental Health Service, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Evalynn Fae T Romano
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nancy Huizar
- Got Green Seattle, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.,NHuizar Consulting LLC, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Karl J Maier
- Department of Psychology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
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Reuben A, Manczak EM, Cabrera LY, Alegria M, Bucher ML, Freeman EC, Miller GW, Solomon GM, Perry MJ. The Interplay of Environmental Exposures and Mental Health: Setting an Agenda. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:25001. [PMID: 35171017 PMCID: PMC8848757 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, health-effects research on environmental stressors has rarely focused on behavioral and mental health outcomes. That lack of research is beginning to change. Science and policy experts in the environmental and behavioral health sciences are coming together to explore converging evidence on the relationship-harmful or beneficial-between environmental factors and mental health. OBJECTIVES To organize evidence and catalyze new findings, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) hosted a workshop 2-3 February 2021 on the interplay of environmental exposures and mental health outcomes. METHODS This commentary provides a nonsystematic, expert-guided conceptual review and interdisciplinary perspective on the convergence of environmental and mental health, drawing from hypotheses, findings, and research gaps presented and discussed at the workshop. Featured is an overview of what is known about the intersection of the environment and mental health, focusing on the effects of neurotoxic pollutants, threats related to climate change, and the importance of health promoting environments, such as urban green spaces. DISCUSSION We describe what can be gained by bridging environmental and psychological research disciplines and present a synthesis of what is needed to advance interdisciplinary investigations. We also consider the implications of the current evidence for a) foundational knowledge of the etiology of mental health and illness, b) toxicant policy and regulation, c) definitions of climate adaptation and community resilience, d) interventions targeting marginalized communities, and e) the future of research training and funding. We include a call to action for environmental and mental health researchers, focusing on the environmental contributions to mental health to unlock primary prevention strategies at the population level and open equitable paths for preventing mental disorders and achieving optimal mental health for all. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9889.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Reuben
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Erika M. Manczak
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Laura Y. Cabrera
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Margarita Alegria
- Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Meghan L. Bucher
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Gary W. Miller
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gina M. Solomon
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
| | - Melissa J. Perry
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Colombia, USA
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9
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Jones DH, Yu X, Guo Q, Duan X, Jia C. Racial Disparities in the Heavy Metal Contamination of Urban Soil in the Southeastern United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031105. [PMID: 35162130 PMCID: PMC8834334 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: Field monitoring data for addressing the disproportional burden of exposure to soil contamination in communities of minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) are sparse. This study aims to examine the association between soil heavy metal levels, SES, and racial composition. (2) Methods: A total of 423 soil samples were collected in the urban areas of eight cities across six Southern states in the U.S., in 2015. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) for eight heavy metals. The association was examined with mixed models with the log-transformed metal concentrations as the dependent variables and rankings of low-income or minority percentages as the explanatory variables. (3) Results: Model results showed that soil metal concentrations were significantly associated with rankings of poverty and minority percentages. The cadmium concentration significantly increased by 4.7% (p-value < 0.01), for every 10 percentiles of increase in poverty rank. For every 10 percentiles of increase in minority rank, the soil concentrations were significantly up (p-values < 0.01) for arsenic (13.5%), cadmium (5.5%), and lead (10.6%). Minority rank had significant direct effects on both arsenic and lead. (4) Conclusions: The findings confirmed elevated heavy metal contamination in urban soil in low-income and/or predominantly minority communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daleniece Higgins Jones
- Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Correspondence: (D.H.J.); (C.J.)
| | - Xinhua Yu
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA;
| | - Qian Guo
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (Q.G.); (X.D.)
| | - Xiaoli Duan
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (Q.G.); (X.D.)
| | - Chunrong Jia
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA;
- Correspondence: (D.H.J.); (C.J.)
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Min E, Piazza M, Galaviz VE, Saganić E, Schmeltz M, Freelander L, Farquhar SA, Karr CJ, Gruen D, Banerjee D, Yost M, Seto EY. Quantifying the Distribution of Environmental Health Threats and Hazards in Washington State Using a Cumulative Environmental Inequality Index. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (PRINT) 2021; 14:298-314. [PMID: 34484558 PMCID: PMC8404171 DOI: 10.1089/env.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Background: Environmental racism, community stressors, and age-related susceptibility play a significant role in environmental inequality. The goal of this article was to use an inequality index (II) to assess the level of equality in environmental threats and hazards based on race, poverty, and age in Washington State. Methods: Using the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map, we quantified the level of disproportionate burdens on communities with greater populations of people of color, people in poverty, children younger than 5, and people older than 65 using 3 cumulative environmental indices and 10 individual environmental indicators. Results: Census tracts with a higher proportion of people of color and those with people living below 185% federal poverty levels were found to be disproportionately burdened by environmental threats (II = -0.175 and II = -0.167, respectively, p < 0.001). Individual environmental indicators were found to disproportionately burden communities of color and low-income communities. Children younger than 5 were also disproportionately burdened by cumulative environmental indices (II = -0.076, p < 0.001) and individual indicators. Our analysis did not show disproportionate burden of environmental health threats based on the proportion of people older than 65 (II = 0.124, p < 0.001). Discussion: The disproportionate burden of the cumulative environmental threats on communities of color and low-income communities in this study corroborates similar analyses. These findings can be applied in policy and regulatory actions to correct the distributive environmental disparities. Conclusion: We found much higher burdens among historically marginalized communities and children who are more susceptible to environmental threats and hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Min
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Millie Piazza
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Vanessa E. Galaviz
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Erik Saganić
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael Schmeltz
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lauren Freelander
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie A. Farquhar
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Catherine J. Karr
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Deric Gruen
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Debolina Banerjee
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michael Yost
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Edmund Y.W. Seto
- Dr. Esther Min is Research Consultant at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Millie Piazza is an Environmental Justice & Title VI Senior Advisor at Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Vanessa E. Galaviz is EJ Public Health Scientist at California Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Secretary and California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, California, USA. Erik Saganić is Manager of Technical Analysis at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Schmeltz is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, California, USA. Lauren Freelander is Spatial Epidemiologist & Radon Director at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington, USA. Dr. Stephanie A. Farquhar is Associate Dean & Clinical Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Catherine J. Karr is a Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, and Director of Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Deric Gruen is Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy at Front and Centered, Seattle, Washington, USA. Debolina Banerjee is a Climate Justice Policy Analyst at Puget Sound Sage, Seattle, Washington, USA. Dr. Michael Yost is Professor and Chair at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Edmund Y.W. Seto is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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The Differences across Future Teachers Regarding Attitudes on Social Responsibility for Sustainable Development. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17155323. [PMID: 32722031 PMCID: PMC7432418 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the search for sustainable development, in which the ecological footprint is carefully considered by consumers and companies, teachers play an important role within a social and economic framework. This role relates to aspects of social responsibility. It should involve knowledge about education for responsible consumption in order to care for the environment both individually and socially. Considering this, the aim of this study is to find out whether there are differences in the level of awareness and the habits of future teachers of Early Childhood and Primary Education regarding sustainable social responsibility. A non-probabilistic sample of 30 Early Childhood Education degree students and 22 Primary Education degree students was used. Semi-structured interviews and an inductive process were conducted to examine the importance of Sustainable Development in society, the relevance of Social Responsibility for Sustainable Development (individual versus corporate), the attitudes and habits relative to Sustainable Development and the education on Sustainable Development in schools: knowledge, attitudes, and proposals. Students agree that they consume excessively. This is everyone's individual responsibility (as regarded by all participants), although changes could be supported by institutions and companies (Early Childhood education students argue in favour of corporate responsibility). Knowledge deficits were identified in relation to production, distribution, and sale processes. They consider education to be the main factor for sustainability, while society is ranked as the least important, observing an evident disagreement in relation to environmental and economic factors (perception of collective responsibility; Early Childhood versus Primary Education students). Finally, they also outline teaching proposals (active and participatory) to foster education for sustainable development at schools.
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Bhandari S, Lewis PGT, Craft E, Marvel SW, Reif DM, Chiu WA. HGBEnviroScreen: Enabling Community Action through Data Integration in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E1130. [PMID: 32053902 PMCID: PMC7068489 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) region faces numerous environmental and public health challenges from both natural disasters and industrial activity, but the historically disadvantaged communities most often impacted by such risks have limited ability to access and utilize big data for advocacy efforts. We developed HGBEnviroScreen to identify and prioritize regions of heightened vulnerability, in part to assist communities in understanding risk factors and developing environmental justice action plans. While similar in objectives to existing environmental justice tools, HGBEnviroScreen is unique in its ability to integrate and visualize national and local data to address regional concerns. For the 1090 census tracts in the HGB region, we accrued data into five domains: (i) social vulnerability, (ii) baseline health, (iii) environmental exposures and risks, (iv) environmental sources, and (v) flooding. We then integrated and visualized these data using the Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi). We found that the highest vulnerability census tracts have multifactorial risk factors, with common drivers being flooding, social vulnerability, and proximity to environmental sources. Thus, HGBEnviroScreen is not only helping identify communities of greatest overall vulnerability but is also providing insights into which domains would most benefit from improved planning, policy, and action in order to reduce future vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmila Bhandari
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
| | - P. Grace Tee Lewis
- Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Ave #1300, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (P.G.T.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Elena Craft
- Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Ave #1300, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (P.G.T.L.); (E.C.)
| | - Skylar W. Marvel
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (S.W.M.); (D.M.R.)
| | - David M. Reif
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (S.W.M.); (D.M.R.)
| | - Weihsueh A. Chiu
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
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The Washington State Environmental Health Disparities Map: Development of a Community-Responsive Cumulative Impacts Assessment Tool. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16224470. [PMID: 31766307 PMCID: PMC6888266 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16224470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Communities across Washington State have expressed the need for neighborhood-level information on the cumulative impact of environmental hazards and social conditions to illuminate disparities and address environmental justice issues. Many existing mapping tools have not explicitly integrated community voice and lived experience as an integral part of their development. The goals of this project were to create a new community–academic–government partnership to collect and summarize community concerns and to develop a publicly available mapping tool that ranks relative environmental health disparities for populations across Washington State. Using a community-driven framework, we developed the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map, a cumulative environmental health impacts assessment tool. Nineteen regularly updated environmental and population indicators were integrated into the geospatial tool that allows for comparisons of the cumulative impacts between census tracts. This interactive map provides critical information for the public, agencies, policymakers, and community-based organizations to make informed decisions. The unique community–academic–government partnership and the community-driven framework can be used as a template for other environmental and social justice mapping endeavors.
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Kou H, Zhang S, Liu Y. Community-Engaged Research for the Promotion of Healthy Urban Environments: A Case Study of Community Garden Initiative in Shanghai, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16214145. [PMID: 31661836 PMCID: PMC6862388 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16214145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The importance of community gardens in a healthy urban environment has been extensively documented, while the garden building involving communities has not been much explored in fast-developing cities. This study examines community engagement in garden building activities in a rapid urbanization context, aiming to explore the application of community-engaged research methods for the promotion of neighbourhood environments. The Community Garden Initiative consisting of an array of progressive actions is formulated by the research team, featuring a process of increasing involvement of community members and decreasing intensity of external interventions. These activities have been launched based on community-university partnerships in Shanghai since 2014, synchronising with a transformation of urban regeneration paradigm in China where people-oriented approaches are more emphasized. Five actions covering 70 community gardens are analysed through surveys on participants’ attitudes and perceptions towards the activities. The results of the study presented people’s rapid acceptance of participation in public affairs, reflected possible measures to promote public participation, and confirmed the positive impacts of the garden building on the neighbourhood environmental health as well as on the community-building. Taking into account that residents generally lack the consciousness and capacities required to implement actions at the initial stage of community engagement, we proposed in the conclusion to start with external interventions and capacity buildings carried out by professionals as a supplement to the ‘community-driven’ principle of CBPR methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaiyun Kou
- College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute for Advanced Study in Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-Saving Study of Dense Habitat of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Sichu Zhang
- Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yuelai Liu
- College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-Saving Study of Dense Habitat of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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Liévanos RS. Racialized Structural Vulnerability: Neighborhood Racial Composition, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Fine Particulate Matter in California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16173196. [PMID: 31480556 PMCID: PMC6747230 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
This study contributes to previous research by advancing a “racialized structural vulnerability” framework and presenting a new empirical analysis of the relationship between neighborhood Asian, Black, and Latinx composition; extrinsic and intrinsic vulnerability; and PM2.5 exposures in California with secondary data from 2004–2014. Principal component analyses revealed that tract Latinx composition was highly correlated with extrinsic vulnerability (economic disadvantage and limited English-speaking ability), and that tract Black composition was highly correlated with intrinsic vulnerability (elevated prevalence of asthma-related emergency department visits and low birth weight). Spatial lag regression models tested hypotheses regarding the association between Asian, Black, and Latinx population vulnerability factors and the 2009–2011 annual average PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of emissions and spatial covariates. Results indicated that the percent Latinx population, followed by the regional clustering of PM2.5, and the percent of non-Latinx Black and non-Latinx Asian population were the strongest positive multivariable correlates of PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of other factors. Additional analyses suggested that despite shifting demographic and spatial correlates of 2012–2014 PM2.5 exposures, the tracts’ Black and Latinx composition and location in the San Joaquin Valley remain important vulnerability factors with implications for future research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul S Liévanos
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA.
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