Grantee Research Project Results

2023 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: R840198
Title: 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, 2022 through June 30,2023
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 map soil lead in Georgia and published two papers related to this topic. We are working on recruiting children to quantify soil ingestion rates, exposure estimates, and risk assessments in the Westside of Atlanta. We have collected 268 soil samples in Georgia and mapped them with children’s blood lead levels. We also collected soil, dust, and paint samples from 6 additional households. Soil and paint samples from the 17 homes have been analyzed. From the home visits so far, we found some soil samples in the 17 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.

Future Activities:

We are hosting several soilSHOP events, where we invite community scientists to bring in soil samples to screen for lead. We are also working on recruiting more families for the CECHS study and we hope to finish the paper on mapping of soil lead in Georgia. We will also develop a modeling framework to quantify soil ingestion rates.

Journal Articles on this Report : 3 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 10 publications	3 publications in selected types	All 3 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	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)	Full-text from PubMed Associated PubMed link Full-text: GeoHealth - Full Text HTML Exit
Journal Article	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)	Full-text from PubMed Abstract from PubMed Full-text: AGU - Full Text HTML Exit
Journal Article	Saikawa E, Filippelli GM. Invited Perspective:Assessing the Contaminant Exposure Risks of Urban Gardening:Call for Updated Health Guidelines. Environmental Health Perspectives 2021;129(11):111302.	R840198 (2023)	Full-text: EHP- Full Text HTML

Supplemental Keywords:

oil, exposure, risk, risk assessment, health effects, human health, bioavailability, vulnerability, dose-response, infants, children, heavy metals, community-based

Relevant Websites:

Saikawa Lab Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

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.