Los AngeleS Voices on Oil, Community, Environment and Salud (LAS VOCES) Study

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PROJECT SUMMARY Petroleum extraction is increasingly common in urbanized areas, and yet, epidemiological research on the health consequences for nearby urban residents is sparse. Los Angeles (LA) County, California has the largest urban oilfield in the country and is home to thousands of active oil wells in very close proximity to homes and schools. Few protections are in place to prevent the release of pollutants into nearby residential areas and understanding the impacts to air quality and health among neighbors is urgently needed to inform public health protections. The overall goal of this study is to extend a robust community-academic partnership to assess the health effects of exposures to oil drilling wells and inform public health actions in South LA, a predominantly low-income multiethnic community of color that faces environmental health disparities. To achieve this, the University of Southern California and Occidental College have formed a collaboration with Redeemer Community Partnership, a longstanding neighborhood-based organization in South LA that addresses the health and well-being of local families. Preliminary collaborative research demonstrates episodic oil-related neighborhood air pollution events and adverse impacts on respiratory health among residents living closer to drill sites. The proposed project, the Los AngeleS Voices on Oil, Community, the Environment and Salud study (LAS VOCES), will examine links between urban oil drilling, air quality and respiratory health, and enhance the capacity of the South LA community to take action based on the identified the environmental or health impacts. The proposed collaborative, community-driven project will 1) engaged exposed communities; 2) quantify the impact of oil drilling on air quality using an innovative low-cost sensor network: 3) establish a diverse cohort to assess longitudinal respiratory health of residents living near oil wells in different stages of production; and 4) develop an action- oriented community public health plan leveraging interviews with diverse stakeholders. Our work will fill a critical gap on impacts of urban oil drilling activities on neighborhood respiratory health and air quality through a prospective study, as well as identify how diverse stakeholders might work together to protect public health for vulnerable populations living nearby urban oil drilling. This project will advance community and scientific knowledge through participatory research.