Use of Community-Based Mapping and Monitoring to Reduce Air Pollution Exposures

描述：位于美国附近的加州帝国县/墨西哥边境，是一个低收入，主要是拉丁裔社区，具有长期累积暴露的历史，包括空气质量差。该县一直是该州学龄儿童哮喘住院和急诊就诊率最高的县之一。加州环境健康跟踪计划-疾病控制和预防中心，加州公共卫生部和公共卫生研究所的一个计划-正在与Comit <$c <$vico Del瓦莱和加州大学伯克利分校合作开展社区参与项目，以减少该地区的空气污染物暴露并改善其居民的健康。该项目的目标是：（1）让社区成员参与界定和测绘当地灾害和资产，以突出造成累积暴露、社区脆弱性和复原力的因素;（2）部署一个廉价的实时空气监测器网络， 将数据转发到互联网，以便立即了解污染水平;（3）使用最新技术 土地利用回归模型，以开发最准确和详细的PM10，PM2.5和NO2暴露在全县范围内，以确定脆弱人群附近的热点;（4）制定公共卫生行动计划，以减少暴露，改善健康，并确保项目的可持续性;（5）对项目进行评估，包括伙伴关系进程、社区参与研究以及由此产生的公共卫生行动。该项目采用创新方法，有可能提供可持续的公共卫生惠益，并最终成为社区参与环境卫生行动的典范。首先，该项目将通过利用社区专门知识、优先事项和指导来加强与空气质量监测有关的传统做法，为低成本空气质量监测器的安置提供信息。它还将开发新的方法，将来自低成本监测器的联合收割机数据与现有数据来源相结合，以制作高空间和时间分辨率的空气污染图。最后，该项目将利用监测器提供的空气质量数据，加强社区发起的在线绘图工具。该项目最终将通过发展与资产/危害绘图、空气监测器选址以及与危害和环境健康有关的研究和行动有关的技能，建设社区能力。

DESCRIPTION: Imperial County, California, near the U.S./Mexico Border, is a low-income, primarily Latino community with a long history of cumulative exposures, including poor air quality. The county has consistently had one of the highest asthma hospitalization and emergency room visit rates in the state for school-aged children. The California Environmental Health Tracking Program- a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and the Public Health Institute- are partnering with Comit¿ C¿vico Del Valle and the University of California, Berkeley to conduct a community-engaged project to reduce air pollutant exposures in this region and improve the health of its residents. The goals of the project are to: (1) Engage community members to define and map local hazards and assets to highlight factors contributing to cumulative exposures, community vulnerability and resilience; (2) Deploy a network of inexpensive real-time air monitors which will relay data to the internet for immediate information on pollution levels; (3) Use state of the art land use regression modeling to develop the most accurate and detailed picture possible of PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 exposures throughout the County for identification of hot spots near vulnerable populations; (4) Develop a public health action plan for reducing exposures, improving health, and ensuring project sustainability; and (5) Conduct an evaluation of the project, including partnership processes, community involvement in the research, and resulting public health actions. This project utilizes innovative approaches with the potential to provide sustainable public health benefits and ultimately serve as a model for community-engaged environmental health action. First, the project will augment traditional practices related to air quality monitoring by utilizing community expertise, priorities and direction to inform the placement of low cost air quality monitors. It will also develop novel methods to combine data from the low-cost monitors with existing data sources to create high spatial and temporal resolution maps of air pollution. Finally, the project will enhance a community-initiated online mapping tool with air quality data from the monitors. This project will ultimately build community capacity by developing skills related to asset/hazard mapping, air monitor site selection, and research and action related to hazards and environmental health.