Grantee Research Project Results

Community-Driven Assessment of Environmental Health Risks in Vieques, Puerto Rico

EPA Grant Number: CR839978
Title: Community-Driven Assessment of Environmental Health Risks in Vieques, Puerto Rico
Investigators: Estrada-Martínez, Lorena , Chen, Robert F , Colón-Carmona, Adan , Poynton, Helen C , Linde-Arias, Ana Rosa , Negrón, Rosalyn , Raciti, Antonio , Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen , Díaz-Vázquez, Liz , Gómez-Márquez, Jose , Rivera, Lorna , Hamad-Schifferli, Kimberly
Current Investigators: Estrada-Martínez, Lorena , Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen , Chen, Robert F , Colón-Carmona, Adan , Poynton, Helen C , Linde-Arias, Ana Rosa , Negrón, Rosalyn , Raciti, Antonio , Díaz-Vázquez, Liz , Gómez-Márquez, Jose , Rivera, Lorna , Hamad-Schifferli, Kimberly
Institution: University of Massachusetts - Boston , Boston University , University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: May 1, 2020 through May 12, 2025
Project Amount: $800,000
RFA: Addressing Environmental Concerns in Vieques, Puerto Rico Through Community Participatory Research (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Human Health , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

To establish exposure to multiple contaminants through person-centere environmental assessments that account for intersecting exposure pathways over time as determined through community input, 2) To establish a resident data monitoring and decision making infrastructure through citizen science and participatory community engagement, and 3) To develop a plant-based remediation system for soil metals and train community members to implement it at appropriate sites.

Approach:

Our transdisciplinary and community-driven approach brings together a unique team that incorporates participatory and citizen-guided activities throughout the entire project. A Community Steering Committee, citizen science monitoring, personal health histories and exposure pathways, and local phytoemediation represent innovative, sustainable approaches to determine and potentially decrease health risks in Vieques.

Expected Results:

The inclusion of community members at all stages of this project along with community-driven monitoring, assessment, and analysis will lead to co-generation of results that are trusted by the community in Vieques. Life history calendars, health histories, and dietary intake studies will be integrated to develop illustrative, narrative profiles of life history and health outcomes that can accessibly inform community members about life course trajectories, contaminant exposures, and health risks. An ongoing citizen science monitoring program will empower local community members to continue to assess contaminant pathways and implement phytoremediation strategies well into the future.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 13 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Nanosensors, PPGIS, TIE, iceberg modeling, Ampli, bioremediation.

Progress and Final Reports:

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.