Grantee Research Project Results
2022 Progress Report: Community-Oriented Strategies to Estimate Childrens Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates and Exposure to Soil Heavy Metal and Metalloid in West Atlanta
EPA Grant Number: R840198Title: Community-Oriented Strategies to Estimate Childrens Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates and Exposure to Soil Heavy Metal and Metalloid in West Atlanta
Investigators: Saikawa, Eri , Barr, Dana Boyd
Institution: Emory University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: July 1, 2021 through May 6, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2021 through June 30,2022
Project Amount: $1,345,022
RFA: Estimating Childrens Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Endocrine Disruptors , Human Health
Objective:
The goal of this project is to effectively understand and mitigate the current and possible future soil heavy metal and metalloid (HMM) and other chemical contaminant exposure among children in West Atlanta (also known as the Westside) by better estimating children’s soil ingestion rates, using Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Our threefold objectives are to: 1) map soil lead (Pb) and other known and unknown contaminant concentrations in West Atlanta; 2) quantify soil ingestion rates and exposure levels to Pb among children in specific age groups via soil, blood, and urine analyses; and 3) provide accurate and comprehensive multimedia metrics for exposure assessments.
Progress Summary:
We have made great progress to quantify soil ingestion rates, exposure estimates, and risk assessments in the Westside of Atlanta. The study team has organized three participant recruitment events. On April 1st, 2022, we hosted our first event, which was a community interest meeting at the Promise Center in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), EPA, Historic Westside Gardens (HWG), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Eight Westside residents had their blood tested at the event, including three children, and one family successfully enrolled in our study. We provided educational material, illustrating the risk levels, to those that participated.
Then, on July 30th, 2022, the team organized the Westside Community Health Day at the Cosmopolitan AME Church, in collaboration with the Westside Faith and Health Consortium and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). More than a hundred people participated and 45 had their blood tested. Seven families indicated an interest in enrolling in the study and one successfully enrolled. Lastly, on August 27th, 2022, the team attended the Westside Fish Fry Festival. This provided a good opportunity to network with Westside-based organizations, pass out recruitment flyers and meet local families. As of September 2022, five Westside families have enrolled in the CECHS and successfully completed home visits. Three enrolled children are 6-11 months old, three are between 24-35 months, and one is 72-83 months of age. We are working hard to recruit 140 children between six months and six years old (20 children in each of the age categories).
One paper was published in Environmental Health Perspectives, calling for updated health guidelines to better assess contaminant exposure risks of urban gardening. Another paper was published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, describing the process of involving the residents in screening soil lead levels. One paper is currently under review in GeoHealth and we have one more paper that is close to submission. Throughout the process, we have engaged both undergraduate and graduate students in the process. So far, eleven students have been trained to conduct community-based research through this project.
We were also able to engage three high school students in collecting soil samples in their neighborhoods for mapping the lead levels. More than 300 soil samples have been collected in Georgia and they are currently being mapped together with other variables, including race and income levels.
Results:
We have collected soil, dust, and paint samples from five households. Soil and paint samples from the five homes have been analyzed. From the home visits so far, we found some soil samples in the five homes had higher than the EPA regional screening levels of mercury, cobalt, iron, and zirconium. Two homes also had higher paint lead levels than the EPA clearance level of 10 µg/ft2. The blood samples from these home visits and the second recruitment have also been analyzed and the visualizations for seven HMMs are currently being created.
In those households, we also collected urine and blood samples from seven children in the five households. Blood samples from six children in the four households have been analyzed so far and some children had high manganese, molybdenum, and copper levels. The visualizations are currently created to communicate the results back to the family members.
We also collected eight blood samples from the first recruitment event and 45 blood samples from the second recruitment event. The blood samples from the first recruitment event were analyzed and the blood lead levels and the visualization of their results were sent back to the participants with follow-up phone calls. One adult participant had a higher blood lead level than 3.5 µg/dL and so we also had the medical doctor in our team (Dr. Kazzi) discuss the result with the participant. The blood samples from the second recruitment have been analyzed for seven HMMs. Two participants in the second recruitment event had high blood lead levels than the 3.5 µg/dL.
Future Activities:
Fall recruitment events include the Westside Festival of Lights and the Center for Black Women’s Wellness Annual Community Health Fair held in early October and November, respectively. Additional planned activities include door-to-door recruitment and school-based recruitment to increase the number of participants. We will focus on disseminating the results back to the residents and host meetings to make sure that the risk is appropriately communicated.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 10 publications | 3 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Peters S, Warner S, Saikawa E, Ryan P, Panuwet P, Barr D, D'Souza P, Frank G, Hernandez R, Alvarado T, Hines A, Theal C. Community-Engaged Assessment of Soil Lead Contamination in Atlanta Urban Growing Spaces. GEOHEALTH 2023;7(3):e2022GH000674. |
R840198 (2022) R840198 (2023) |
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Yao X, Saikawa E, Warner S, D'Souza P, Ryan P, Barr D. Phytoremediation of Lead-Contaminated Soil in the Westside of Atlanta, GA. GEOHEALTH 2023;7(8):e2022GH000752 |
R840198 (2022) R840198 (2023) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
soil, exposure, risk, risk assessment, health effects, human health, bioavailability, vulnerability, dose-response, infants, children, heavy metals, community-basedRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.