Use of a Community-University Partnership to Eliminate Environmental Stressors

描述(申请人提供)：在南卡罗来纳州的北查尔斯顿，缺乏了解空气、水和土壤污染源的累积影响的研究，这些污染源包括历史工业活动、当地焚化炉的运营、几个超级基金地点以及交通繁忙的高速公路对这些经济困难社区的总体暴露负担。开展了有限的监测和基于社区的监测，以了解当地居民暴露于该地区无数工业、点源和非点源排放的污染的时空变化，以及这种累积暴露如何影响环境质量、社区健康、生活质量以及社区的活力和可持续性。没有以行动为导向、以社区为导向的研究和倡导努力，就不会在减少接触和防止污染方面取得有效进展。我们的长期目标是利用低地国家示范社区联盟(LAMC)和南卡罗来纳大学(USC)之间的社区-大学伙伴关系、基于社区的参与性研究(CBPR)框架和协作-问题解决模式(CPSM)原则来解决南卡罗来纳州北查尔斯顿的环境不公正、公共健康和振兴问题。为了实现这一长期目标，我们提出了以下具体目标：1)评估南卡罗来纳州北查尔斯顿污染源的地理分布；2)具体目标2：量化南卡罗来纳州北查尔斯顿经济困难社区工业污染源和非点源污染源附近的PM和重金属水平；3)通过社区外展、教育和培训，提高社区减少暴露、预防污染和改善公共卫生的能力。该项目具有新颖性和重大意义，因为它将首次研究污染对查尔斯顿地区暴露最严重人群的环境和健康的累积影响。该项目具有创新性，因为我们将使用CBPR框架和CPSM原则来：1)教育受影响的居民了解当地的污染源；2)收集社区暴露于PM和当地污染源排放的重金属的证据；3)建立社区对科学研究的信心；4)赋予居民以获得环境正义的权力，并推动当地环境卫生政策的变化。这些发现将具有重要意义，因为它们将对查尔斯顿地区经济困难和负担过重的社区的污染预防、降低风险活动和战略以及环境卫生政策产生重要影响。 公共卫生相关性：关于查尔斯顿地区污染源的空间分布和累积影响的信息有限，特别是对弱势群体。该项目与公众健康相关，因为它将提供证据，证明多种空气、水和土壤污染源对南卡罗来纳州北查尔斯顿贫困社区的累积影响。这个项目也很重要，因为它使用参与式教育、外联和培训来教育居民了解他们当地的环境健康风险，以及他们可以减少暴露在当地社区和防止污染的方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In North Charleston, South Carolina, a paucity of research has occurred to understand the cumulative impact of sources of air, water, and soil pollution including historic industrial activities, operation of the local incinerator, several Superfund sites, and heavily-trafficked highways have on the overall exposure burden on these economically disadvantaged communities. Limited monitoring and community-based surveillance has occurred to understand the spatial and temporal variation of the exposure of local populations to pollution released from the myriad industrial, point, and non-point sources in the region and how this cumulative exposure has affected environmental quality, community health, quality of life, and neighborhood vitality and sustainability. Without action-oriented community-driven research and advocacy efforts, effective progress will not be made in reducing exposure and preventing pollution. Our long-term goal is to use a community- university partnership between the Low-Country Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) and the University of South Carolina (USC), the community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, and collaborative- problem solving model (CPSM) principles to address environmental injustice, public health, and revitalization issues in North Charleston, SC. To achieve this long-term goal, we propose the following specific aims: 1) Assess the geographic distribution of pollution sources in North Charleston, SC, 2) Specific Aim #2: Quantify levels of PM and heavy metals near industrial and non-point sources of pollution in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in North Charleston, SC, and 3) Increase community capacity to reduce exposure, prevent pollution, and improve public health through community-based outreach, education, and training. The project is novel and significant because it will study the cumulative impacts of pollution on the environment and health of maximally exposed populations in the Charleston area for the first time. The project is innovative because we will employ the CBPR framework and CPSM principles to: 1) educate impacted residents about local pollution sources, 2) collect evidence on community exposure to PM and heavy metals emitted from local pollution sources, 3) build community confidence in scientific research, and 4) empower residents to obtain environmental justice and drive changes in local environmental health policy. The findings will have significance because they will have important implications for pollution prevention, risk reduction activities and strategies, and environmental health policy for economically disadvantaged and overburdened communities in the in the Charleston area. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: There is limited information on the spatial distribution and cumulative impact of pollution sources in the Charleston region particularly for disadvantaged populations. This project is relevant to public health because it will provide evidence on the cumulative impact that multiple sources of air, water, and soil pollution have on disadvantaged neighborhoods in North Charleston, South Carolina. This project is also relevant because it use participatory education, outreach, and training to educate residents about their local environmental health risks and ways that they can reduce their exposure and prevention pollution in their local communities.