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Cutts BB, Vilá O, Bray LA, Harris A, Hornsby G, Goins H, McLean S, Crites M, Allen A, McMenamin N, Harlee T. Shifting terrains: Understanding residential contaminants after flood disasters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167577. [PMID: 37839486 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167577] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Flood disasters can induce the mass transport of soils and sediments. This has the potential to distribute contaminants and present novel combinations to new locations - including residential neighborhoods. Even when soil contaminants cannot be directly attributed to the disaster, data on bacterial and heavy metal(loids) can facilitate an environmentally just recovery by enabling reconstruction decisions that fill data gaps to minimize future exposure. These data-gathering interventions may be especially useful in poor, rural, and racially diverse communities where there is a high probability of exposure to multiple hazards and a potential dependency on the financial resources of disaster aid as a means of reducing chronic exposures to other environmental pollutants. At the same time, entering these post-disasters spaces is ethically complex. To acknowledge this complexity, we pilot a framework for work that gathers social-ecological hazard information while retaining a fair-minded approach to transdisciplinary work. Assembled a transdisciplinary team to recruit participants from 90 households subjected to flooding in the southeastern US. Participating households agreed to interviews to elicit flood experience and environmental health concerns, soil sampling for fecal bacteria (E. coli) and soil sampling for selected heavy metals and metalloids (Pb, As, Cd) at their flooded residence. Soil sampling found a wide range of E. coli concentrations in soil (0.4-1115.7 CFU/ dry gram). Heavy metal(loid)s were detected at most residences (As 97.9 %; Ca 25.5 %; Pb 100 %). Individually, heavy metal(loid) concentrations did not exceed regulatory thresholds. Hazard, risk, and mitigation concerns expressed during interviews reveal that integrated human-nature concepts complicate common understandings of how hazard perceptibility (smell, sight, touch, and information) affects research-action spaces. Qualitative analysis of interviews and field notes revealed that soil-related hazards addressed by our biophysical protocols were less salient than changes with direct causal associations with flooding. We conclude by discussing the potential for the social-ecological hazard information that is fair-minded and transdisciplinary (SHIFT) framework to advance environmentally just approaches to research-action spaces after disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany B Cutts
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Geospatial Analytics, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Olivia Vilá
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Laura A Bray
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Sociology and Anthropology, NC State University, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Angela Harris
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Gracie Hornsby
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hannah Goins
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sallie McLean
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Margaret Crites
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Angela Allen
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nathan McMenamin
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Taleek Harlee
- Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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El Ayoubi MS, Radmehr M. Green food supply chain management as a solution for the mitigation of food supply chain management risk for improving the environmental health level. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13264. [PMID: 36865450 PMCID: PMC9970908 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose In the context of the food industry, this research investigates the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) on environmental health. This helps the practitioners and policy makers in mitigation of the supply chain (SC) risks and enhance the environmental health level. Design/methodology/approach The study's model was structured using GSC risk factors of green purchasing, environmental cooperation, reverse logistics, eco design, internal environmental management, and investment recovery. A questionnaire-based survey was used to examine the proposed model; 102 data from the senior managers of food firms in Lebanon were collected. Using SPSS and AMOS statistical software, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multiple regressions have been applied. Findings The outcome of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that four of six GSC risk factors were significantly related to environmental health. The study findings can be applied to the external level through many green practices in cooperation with suppliers and customers like the collaboration with them on environmentally friendly design, purchasing, production, packaging and using less energy. This can increase the level of environmental health by decreasing the impact of SCM risks. Regarding the internal level, many procedures and decisions may lead to an environmentally friendly ambience in the firms like the commitment of GSCM practices from the management and the implementation of internal eco-performance evaluation system. This may enhance the environmental health provisions by setting up an action plan to mitigate the GSC risk and address the sustainable health objectives. Originality The paper's distinctiveness comes from the fact that it fills a gap in the literature regarding the few numbers of studies that treat the green supply chain management GSCM as mitigation solution for the risks of SCM. In addition, there were no studies explain the relationship between GSCM and environmental health; this will be the first time the assess the impacts of GSCM practices on environmental health in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Saad El Ayoubi
- Cyprus International University (CIU)/Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus, via Mersin 10, Turkey
- Corresponding author.,
| | - Mehrshad Radmehr
- Cyprus International University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Nicosia, North Cyprus, via Mersin 10, Turkey
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Cannon C, Bonnell J, Padilla M, Sulca D. Along the energy justice continuum: An examination of energy disposal through the lens of feminist community based participatory action research. ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE 2023; 96:102948. [PMID: 37475880 PMCID: PMC10358323 DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2023.102948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Energy justice research tends to focus on inequalities that result from energy systems, including from fossil fuel extraction to production, distribution, and consumption. However, little research has investigated local effects of the disposal of waste products from fossil fuel extraction. To better understand these impacts, we employed a case study approach with qualitative interviews of residents of Kettleman City, a rural community in California's Central Valley (USA) that hosts a hazardous waste landfill which accepts predominantly waste from fossil fuel production. Informed by a novel feminist community-based participatory action research approach (CBPAR), interview data were collected from residents in the Summer of 2019 and analyzed using deductive and inductive coding strategies. Resident interviews highlighted the disproportionate distribution of pollution and environmental degradation shouldered by the community along with their experiences of adverse health and social impacts. Our analysis revealed the importance of incorporating an intersectional perspective to frame resident experiences of energy injustice. Our research highlights the untapped potential of feminist-informed CBPAR to catalyze change and challenge the production of energy injustice from energy waste disposal.
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4
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Vandenberg LN, Rayasam SDG, Axelrad DA, Bennett DH, Brown P, Carignan CC, Chartres N, Diamond ML, Joglekar R, Shamasunder B, Shrader-Frechette K, Subra WA, Zarker K, Woodruff TJ. Addressing systemic problems with exposure assessments to protect the public's health. Environ Health 2023; 21:121. [PMID: 36635700 PMCID: PMC9835264 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00917-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding, characterizing, and quantifying human exposures to environmental chemicals is critical to protect public health. Exposure assessments are key to determining risks to the general population and for specific subpopulations given that exposures differ between groups. Exposure data are also important for understanding where interventions, including public policies, should be targeted and the extent to which interventions have been successful. In this review, we aim to show how inadequacies in exposure assessments conducted by polluting industries or regulatory agencies have led to downplaying or disregarding exposure concerns raised by communities; that underestimates of exposure can lead regulatory agencies to conclude that unacceptable risks are, instead, acceptable, allowing pollutants to go unregulated; and that researchers, risk assessors, and policy makers need to better understand the issues that have affected exposure assessments and how appropriate use of exposure data can contribute to health-protective decisions. METHODS We describe current approaches used by regulatory agencies to estimate human exposures to environmental chemicals, including approaches to address limitations in exposure data. We then illustrate how some exposure assessments have been used to reach flawed conclusions about environmental chemicals and make recommendations for improvements. RESULTS Exposure data are important for communities, public health advocates, scientists, policy makers, and other groups to understand the extent of environmental exposures in diverse populations. We identify four areas where exposure assessments need to be improved due to systemic sources of error or uncertainty in exposure assessments and illustrate these areas with examples. These include: (1) an inability of regulatory agencies to keep pace with the increasing number of chemicals registered for use or assess their exposures, as well as complications added by use of 'confidential business information' which reduce available exposure data; (2) the failure to keep assessments up-to-date; (3) how inadequate assumptions about human behaviors and co-exposures contribute to underestimates of exposure; and (4) that insufficient models of toxicokinetics similarly affect exposure estimates. CONCLUSION We identified key issues that impact capacity to conduct scientifically robust exposure assessments. These issues must be addressed with scientific or policy approaches to improve estimates of exposure and protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Phil Brown
- Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney C Carignan
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas Chartres
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rashmi Joglekar
- Earthjustice, New York, NY, USA
- Earthjustice, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Bhavna Shamasunder
- Department of Urban & Environmental Policy and Public Health, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristin Shrader-Frechette
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Department of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Wilma A Subra
- Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Ken Zarker
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Amolegbe SM, Lopez AR, Velasco ML, Carlin DJ, Heacock ML, Henry HF, Trottier BA, Suk WA. Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14674. [PMID: 36429393 PMCID: PMC9690097 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 2000 official and potential Superfund sites are located within 25 miles of the East or Gulf coasts, many of which will be at risk of flooding as sea levels rise. More than 60 million people across the United States live within 3 miles of a Superfund site. Disentangling multifaceted environmental health problems compounded by climate change requires a multidisciplinary systems approach to inform better strategies to prevent or reduce exposures and protect human health. The purpose of this minireview is to present the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program (SRP) as a useful model of how this systems approach can help overcome the challenges of climate change while providing flexibility to pivot to additional needs as they arise. It also highlights broad-ranging SRP-funded research and tools that can be used to promote health and resilience to climate change in diverse contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Amolegbe
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | | | | | - Danielle J. Carlin
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Michelle L. Heacock
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Heather F. Henry
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - Brittany A. Trottier
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
| | - William A. Suk
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Durham, NC 27709, USA
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Jovan SE, Zuidema C, Derrien MM, Bidwell AL, Brinkley W, Smith RJ, Blahna D, Barnhill R, Gould L, Rodríguez AJ, Amacher MC, Abel TD, López P. Heavy metals in moss guide environmental justice investigation: A case study using community science in Seattle,
WA
,
USA. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Jovan
- USDA Forest Service PNW Research Station Portland Oregon USA
| | - Christopher Zuidema
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Monika M. Derrien
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Seattle Washington USA
| | | | | | - Robert J. Smith
- USDA Forest Service Air Resource Management Program Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Dale Blahna
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Seattle Washington USA
| | | | - Linn Gould
- Just Health Action Seattle Washington USA
| | | | - Michael C. Amacher
- Forest Environment Health Research & Consulting, LLC North Logan Utah USA
| | - Troy D. Abel
- Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy Western Washington University Bellingham Washington USA
| | - Paulina López
- Duwamish River Community Coalition Seattle Washington USA
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7
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Kyaw WT, Sakakibara M. Transdisciplinary Communities of Practice to Resolve Health Problems in Southeast Asian Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Communities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5422. [PMID: 35564816 PMCID: PMC9104413 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been a major part of people's livelihood in the rural areas of many developing countries, including those in Southeast Asia (SEA). Nevertheless, because of the use of mercury, ASGM activities have significant local and global adverse impacts on the environment and ASGM community health. Although there have been many monodisciplinary projects by academic researchers and governments to solve the environmental and health problems in SEA ASGM communities, they have not been sufficient to solve the complex socioeconomic problems. This review first outlines the nature of the SEA ASGM activities and the consequent environmental, community health, and socioeconomic problems and then introduces an approach using transdisciplinary communities of practice that involves both academic and nonacademic participants to relieve these wicked ASGM problems and to improve the environmental governance and community health in ASGM communities in SEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Win Thiri Kyaw
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan;
| | - Masayuki Sakakibara
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan;
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
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8
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Monthuy-Blanc J, St-Pierre MJ, Ménard J, St-Pierre L. La transdisciplinarité en santé, la puissance plutôt que l’absence des disciplines. ANNALES MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGIQUES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.amp.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Blacker S, Kimura AH, Kinchy A. When citizen science is public relations. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2021; 51:780-796. [PMID: 34213373 DOI: 10.1177/03063127211027662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Amid rising interest in participatory research, some industries have recently begun to practice public relations citizen science (PRCS). Unlike citizen science and crowdsourcing projects that generate raw materials for product development, PRCS benefits capitalist firms primarily by improving their public image and deflecting accusations of causing harm. Three cases illustrate how PRCS works: (1) a growing assortment of citizen science projects associated with Antarctic tourism, (2) an initiative to document biodiversity, linked to Canada's oil and gas industry, and (3) a study sponsored by Biology Fortified, a nonprofit organization that works to communicate positive information about agricultural biotechnology. Scientists and research organizations may have legitimate reasons for entering into these partnerships, but PRCS can benefit industries in problematic ways. First, by supporting environmental science, PRCS can attach a 'sustainable' image to a polluting industry, without changing its core practices. Second, PRCS can accumulate data and steer volunteers' observations in ways that undermine claims about the harms caused by the industry's practices or products. Finally, in some cases, PRCS organizers hope to induce people to view an industry more 'rationally' than those who make 'emotional' or 'ideological' claims about its harms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aya H Kimura
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Abby Kinchy
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY USA
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10
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Yang X, Lo K. Environmental health research and the COVID-19 pandemic: A turning point towards sustainability. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111157. [PMID: 33887273 PMCID: PMC8542966 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Based on a review of COVID-19 research from an environmental health perspective, this study theorizes the interdependence of the society, environment and health, and presents an integrated framework for environmental health problems arising due to COVID-19. Five guiding principles are proposed for conducting environmental health research, including employing a transdisciplinary approach, embracing complexity and uncertainty, addressing vulnerability, boosting resilience and promoting sustainable development. This study propagates that the pandemic could be an opportunity for sustainable transformation, wherein visionary leadership that facilitates sustainability policies based on environmental health science is required. This study can serve as a consolidated guide for professionals and stakeholders who conduct environmental health research in this challenging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yang
- David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Kevin Lo
- David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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11
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Toward Environmental Justice in Civic Science: Youth Performance and Experience Measuring Air Pollution Using Moss as a Bio-Indicator in Industrial-Adjacent Neighborhoods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197278. [PMID: 33027991 PMCID: PMC7579114 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This article reports on an interdisciplinary evaluation of the pilot phase of a community-driven civic science project. The project investigates the distribution of heavy metals in air pollution using moss growing on street trees as a bio-indicator in two industrial-adjacent neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington (USA). One goal of the ongoing project is to meaningfully engage local urban youths (eighth to twelfth grade) in the scientific process as civic scientists, and teach them about environmental health, environmental justice, and urban forestry concepts in a place-based, urban-oriented environmental research project. We describe the collaborative context in which our project developed, evaluate the quality of youth-collected data through analysis of replicate samples, and assess participants’ learning, career interests, and overall appraisal of the pilot. Our results indicate that youth scientists collected usable samples (with acceptable precision among repeated samples), learned project content (with statistically significant increases in scores of test-style survey questions; p = 0.002), and appraised their engagement favorably (with 69% of participants reporting they liked the project). We observed few changes in career interests, however. We discuss our intention to use these preliminary insights to further our community-driven education, research, and action model to address environmental injustices.
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12
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Cannon CEB. Towards Convergence: How to Do Transdisciplinary Environmental Health Disparities Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E2303. [PMID: 32235385 PMCID: PMC7177595 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly, funders (i.e., national, public funders, such as the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation in the U.S.) and scholars agree that single disciplines are ill equipped to study the pressing social, health, and environmental problems we face alone, particularly environmental exposures, increasing health disparities, and climate change. To better understand these pressing social problems, funders and scholars have advocated for transdisciplinary approaches in order to harness the analytical power of diverse and multiple disciplines to tackle these problems and improve our understanding. However, few studies look into how to conduct such research. To this end, this article provides a review of transdisciplinary science, particularly as it relates to environmental research and public health. To further the field, this article provides in-depth information on how to conduct transdisciplinary research. Using the case of a transdisciplinary, community-based, participatory action, environmental health disparities study in California's Central Valley provides an in-depth look at how to do transdisciplinary research. Working with researchers from the fields of social sciences, public health, biological engineering, and land, air, and water resources, this study aims to answer community residents' questions related to the health disparities they face due to environmental exposure. Through this case study, I articulate not only the logistics of how to conduct transdisciplinary research but also the logics. The implications for transdisciplinary methodologies in health disparity research are further discussed, particularly in the context of team science and convergence science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare E B Cannon
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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13
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Cruz SM. Themes Across New Directions in Community Engagement. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E3724. [PMID: 31623297 PMCID: PMC6801676 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The articles in this special issue on New Directions in Environmental Communication in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health present new research and perspectives on engaging communities impacted by Superfund sites-the hazardous waste sites that have been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as needing cleanup. In particular, these articles focus on the community engagement cores (CECs) that work with affected communities as part the Superfund Research Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The purpose of this closing article is to highlight important themes evident across the eight articles in the special issue. When considered together, the findings reveal important lessons learned about community engagement and environmental communication, but also reveal that much more remains to be known. Recommendations are made for how these teams can continue to practice, reflect on, and research community engagement in ways that build toward a better understanding and implementation of best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Cruz
- Department of Communication Arts & Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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