Sustainable Solutions to Metal Air Pollution in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目采用以社区为基础的参与式方法，1)进行形成性研究；2)制定干预措施；3)评估有关金属回收可能导致的与健康相关的暴露的干预效果。金属回收在这个国家是一个蓬勃发展的行业。金属回收的好处超过了使用 原材料方面的影响包括节约能源、保护资源、创造就业机会以及美国在全球范围内的大量出口对贸易的积极影响。2010年，美国的金属回收行业创造了超过10亿美元的收入。金属回收在休斯顿也是一个不断增长的行业，有170多个金属回收设施在运营。由于没有分区，这些地点中的许多都是在以贫困和有色人种社区为主的社区附近运营。在过去的五年里，休斯顿市卫生与公众服务部(HDHHS)收到了来自全市居民的近200起关于回收活动的空气质量投诉，其中最令人担忧的是烟雾和灰尘。在资源可用的情况下，人类健康和健康制度污染控制和预防局在25个回收设施进行了有限的环境空气监测。我们的初步结果表明可能存在环境健康风险，但没有足够的数据来得出关于这些设施排放的健康风险的明确结论。HDHHS、德克萨斯大学公共卫生学院、莱斯大学和休斯顿航空联盟建立了合作伙伴关系，与社区居民和金属回收商合作，解决这一潜在的严重环境健康问题。此外，HDHHS自2013年1月以来一直与金属回收商特别工作组合作，该工作组由德克萨斯州和墨西哥湾沿岸回收委员会和国家废品回收工业研究所(ISRI)组成，作为回应，一家金属回收商自愿升级了他们的设施，从而减少了气溶胶排放。我们建议对受影响社区的颗粒物中的金属进行广泛的空气监测，从而为社区金属回收商的空气排放风险评估提供信息。根据风险评估结果和额外的社区投入，我们将使用系统的健康促进规划方法来实施和评估以证据和行为科学理论为基础的多层次公共卫生行动计划。公共卫生行动计划将包括建议金属回收商采用最佳做法，并针对社区居民、金属回收商和政策制定者开展有针对性的教育活动，我们将在该计划实施后重新评估排放和风险。受影响的社区居民和金属回收商在该项目中发挥着关键作用，以确保我们在设计和实施研究、解释和传播研究结果以及制定和评估公共卫生行动计划时代表社区的所有关切。该项目的最终目标是改善休斯顿与金属回收设施接壤的社区的健康状况。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project uses a community-based participatory approach to 1) Conduct formative research; 2) Develop an intervention; and 3) Evaluate intervention effects regarding possible health related exposures from metal recycling. Metal recycling is a robust, growing industry in the nation. The benefits of metal recycling over the use of raw materials include energy savings, the conservation of resources, the generation of jobs and the positive impact on trade of significant U.S. exports world-wide. The metal recycling industry in the U.S. generated over $64 billion in 2010. Metal recycling is a growing industry in Houston as well, with over 170 metal recycling facilities in operation. Because of no zoning, many of these sites operate "next-door" to neighborhoods that are predominantly poor and communities of color. During the last five years, the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) received nearly 200 air quality complaints from residents across the city about recycling activities, with the predominant concern being smoke and dust. To the extent that resources were available, the HDHHS Bureau of Pollution Control and Prevention conducted limited ambient air monitoring at 25 recycling facilities. Our preliminary results suggested possible environmental health risks, but there are insufficient data to draw definitive conclusions about the health risks of emissions from these facilities. A partnership arose among the HDHHS, the University of Texas School of Public Health, Rice University and Air Alliance Houston to work together with neighborhood residents and metal recyclers to address this potentially serious environmental health issue. Also, the HDHHS has been working since January 2013 with the metal recyclers' task force consisting of the Recycling Council of Texas and Gulf Coast and National Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), and in response one metal recycler voluntarily upgraded their facility resulting in reduced aerosol emissions. We propose to conduct extensive air monitoring of metals in particulate matter in affected neighborhoods that will, in turn, inform a risk assessment associated with air emissions from metal recyclers in the community. Based on the risk assessment findings and additional community input, we will use a systematic health promotion planning method to implement and evaluate a multilevel, evidence and behavioral science theory-based public health action plan. The public health action plan will include recommendations for best practices for adoption by metal recyclers and targeted educational campaigns for neighborhood residents, metal recyclers and policy makers and we will re-evaluate emissions and risks following implementation of the plan. Affected neighborhood residents and metal recyclers have a critical role to play in this project to insure that we represent the full range of community concerns in designing and conducting the study, interpreting and disseminating study results and developing and evaluating a public health action plan. The ultimate goal of the project is to improve the health of Houston's communities that border metal recycling facilities.