Fawkes Leanne S, Chiu Weihsueh A, Roh Taehyun, McDonald Thomas J, Sansom Garett T
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2024 Sep 17. doi: 10.1038/s41370-024-00713-7.
Human health risk assessment increasingly recognizes the need to integrate participatory-based research, geospatial analysis, and environmental epidemiology, particularly to address contamination concerns in underserved and disadvantaged communities. Here, we demonstrate the combined application of such methods within the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhood in Northeast Houston. In particular, in tandem with community members, we collected soil samples from 193 residential sites using a complete canvassing method from July to November 2021 to characterize contaminant concentrations, focusing on heavy metals and metalloids As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Pb, Se, Ag, and Hg measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Individual heavy metals as well as cumulative cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated for children and adults using the USEPA Regional Soil Screening Levels and benchmarks for specific land uses, such as crop growing. Soils from most sites had low or typical background levels expected in urban areas, but samples from several locations had significantly elevated lead levels (>1200 mg/kg) that warrant additional examination. Geospatial analysis suggested clustering of heavy metal contaminants within one geographic area of the neighborhood. This study highlights how participatory research in underserved environmental justice communities can help characterize current conditions as well as establish priorities for future investigation.
人类健康风险评估越来越认识到有必要整合基于参与式的研究、地理空间分析和环境流行病学，特别是为了解决服务不足和处境不利社区的污染问题。在此，我们展示了这些方法在休斯顿东北部大第五区社区的联合应用。具体而言，我们在2021年7月至11月期间与社区成员合作，采用全面普查方法从193个住宅地点采集土壤样本，以确定污染物浓度，重点关注使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法测量的重金属和类金属砷、钡、镉、铬、铅、硒、银和汞。使用美国环境保护局（USEPA）区域土壤筛选水平和特定土地用途（如作物种植）的基准，计算了儿童和成人的个体重金属以及累积癌症和非癌症风险。大多数地点的土壤具有城市地区预期的低背景水平或典型背景水平，但几个地点的样本铅含量显著升高（>1200毫克/千克），需要进一步检查。地理空间分析表明，该社区的一个地理区域内存在重金属污染物聚集现象。这项研究强调了在服务不足的环境正义社区开展参与式研究如何有助于描述当前状况以及确定未来调查的重点。
