Environmental Exposures, Host, Factors and Human Disease

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SUMMARY Over the past decade, the rapid growth of the logistics industry has brought about a vast rise in mega-warehouse developments in Southern California, specifically in the Inland Empire (I.E.). This region once known as the ‘Orange Empire’ for its vast agricultural and citrus lands is now third in the United States (U.S.) for mega- warehouse occupancies, spanning approximately 174 million square feet of industrial space. Warehouse developments come with significant disruption to the local land use, including increased traffic congestion, noise, depreciation of property value, and magnifying local air pollution. The logistical activities associated with warehouses have become a major cause of industrial emissions and progressing environmental pollution. There is limited research on the environmental and health impact of warehouses. Additionally, to our knowledge, there has not been a study examining the impact that warehouses and associated logistical activities have on the health outcomes of neighboring communities. The Inland Empire Warehouse Development and Children’s Respiratory Health study seeks to leverage a community-engaged approach to evaluate the impact of warehouses and warehouse-related logistical activities on children’s respiratory health. The diversity supplement aims to: 1) advance community capacity to conduct research and increase engagement and understanding of exposure risks, environmental health, and risk factors impacting the respiratory health of children through popular education workshops, and 2) evaluate the association between the density and proximity to warehouses and the respiratory health symptoms of elementary school-aged children. This planned data analysis will contribute to the understanding of warehouses and warehouse-related logistical activities and respiratory health among children, community concern, and one of the overall goals of the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center (SCEHSC) parent grant. The Candidate will enhance community-engaged research skills and gain training in environmental epidemiological methods. She will strive to promote Environmental Health Literacy among all participants and stakeholders through the translation of findings from this diversity supplement and the parent grant. The objectives align with the SCEHSC aims, advancing scientific research, promoting community engagement, advancing translational research, and training new researchers. The completion of this diversity supplement will provide critical insight into warehouse developments and their impact on air pollution, coupled with expanding our understanding of how the proximity to and density of warehouse facilities impacts respiratory health in children. This study will be among the first to examine the relationship between warehouses to childhood and longitudinal respiratory health symptom outcomes. The training will position the Candidate to pursue an independent academic career and make significant contributions to the field of exposure disparities and health outcomes among environmental justice communities.