Community-academic partnership to address environmental contamination and health

项目总结 钢铁、石油和化学工业的活动导致了大量的金属和有机化合物 印第安纳州莱克县北部的污染。居民们一直表示需要更多的 社区投入和关于其化学品暴露的程度和对健康影响的无偏见数据。许多. 这些污染物单独被认为是神经毒物；然而，科学上对 暴露在多种污染物中的累积影响尚不清楚。因此，我们的目标是进行 社区参与的金属和挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)暴露模式评估 以及它们与选定的健康结果，特别是神经健康的潜在联系。我们会 通过完成一项对北湖300名成年人和100名儿童的横断面研究来实现这一点 印第安纳州的县。社区参与将通过a)与社区咨询接触来实现 委员会(CAB)就项目的所有方面提供建议；b)雇用居民作为社区 卫生工作者(CHW)与个别居民密切合作，分享有关该项目的信息，招募 参与者，并进行考察访问；c)让参与者参与收集自己的信息，从而增强他们的能力 通过专门的抽样箱采集环境和生物样本；(D)社区宣传。在目标1中， 我们将检测a)房屋灰尘、土壤、自来水、头发和脚趾甲样本中的有毒金属浓度。 作为b)苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯、多环芳烃和其他常见的挥发性有机化合物 地面空气样本和硅胶腕带。环境空气样本中的细颗粒物(PM2.5)将 也要有决心。卫生福利会向参加者展示如何使用抽样器从家中收集样本。 试剂盒组件已经过验证；样本将由科学人员使用半自动X- 射线荧光(XRF)、电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)和气相色谱质谱(GC-MS) 光谱仪(GC-MS)。在目标2中，我们将评估混合化学品暴露与自我报告的相关性。 一般健康状况，认知和情绪功能，以及表观遗传学特征。训练有素的研究人员将接受培训 通过视频会议从NIH工具箱管理认知电池。表观遗传变化包括改变 已知与神经系统疾病相关的基因的甲基化模式。在目标3中，我们将评估 我们的社区参与战略的有效性。具体地说，我们将探索这些策略是否 有效地促进参与项目活动，增加对环境和环境的认识 健康问题。在这次社会参与的研究结束时，我们将完成一个高质量的 评估北莱克县接触金属和挥发性有机化合物的程度和特征； 确定这些暴露与选定的健康结果的相关性；并确定哪个社区 参与方法在这个社区是最有效的。

PROJECT SUMMARY Activity from steel, petroleum, and chemical industries has resulted in extensive metal and organic compound contamination in northern Lake County, Indiana. Residents have consistently voiced the need for more community input and unbiased data on the extent and the health impacts of their chemical exposures. Many of these contaminants, individually, are recognized as neurological toxicants; however, scientific understanding of the cumulative impact of exposure to multiple contaminants remains unclear. Therefore, our goal is to conduct a community-engaged assessment of the patterns of exposure to metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as their potential associations with selected health outcomes, particularly neurological health. We will accomplish this through completion of a cross-sectional study of 300 adults and 100 children from northern Lake County, Indiana. Community engagement will be achieved through a) engagement with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to provide advice on all aspects of the project; b) employment of residents to serve as Community Health Workers (CHWs) to work closely with individual residents to share information about the project, recruit participants, and conduct study visits; c) empowerment of participants by involving them in collecting their own environmental and biological samples through a specialized sampling kit; and d) community outreach. In Aim 1, we will determine a) toxic metal concentrations in house dust, soils, tap water, hair and toenail samples as well as b) benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other common VOCs in ground-level air samples and silicone wristbands. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ambient air samples will also be determined. CHWs will show participants how to collect samples from their home using the sampling kit. The kit components have been validated; samples will be analyzed by scientific staff using semi-automated X- ray fluorimeters (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and gas chromatograph mass spectrometers (GC-MS). In Aim 2, we will assess the correlation of mixed chemical exposure with self-reported general health status, cognitive and emotional function, and epigenetic profiles. Trained study staff will be trained to administer the cognitive battery from the NIH Toolbox via videoconference. Epigenetic changes include altered methylation patterns in genes known to be related to neurologic disease. In Aim 3, we will evaluate the effectiveness of our community engagement strategies. Specifically, we will explore whether these strategies are effective at promoting participation in project activities and increasing the knowledge of environmental and health issues. At the conclusion of this community engaged research, we will have completed a high-quality assessment of the extent and characteristics of exposure to metals and VOCs in northern Lake County; determined correlations of these exposures with selected health outcomes; and determined which community engagement methods were most effective in this community.