Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: Community-Driven Assessment of Environmental Health Risks in Vieques, Puerto Rico
EPA Grant Number: CR839978Title: Community-Driven Assessment of Environmental Health Risks in Vieques, Puerto Rico
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 April 30, 2023 (Extended to April 30, 2025)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2020 through April 30,2021
Project Amount: $800,000
RFA: Addressing Environmental Concerns in Vieques, Puerto Rico Through Community Participatory Research (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Human Health
Objective:
This study examines the pathways by which contaminants used by the U.S. Navy during 63 years of military target practices impacted the health of the residents of Vieques, Puerto. We use life course and ecological perspectives to understand the extent to which Vieques residents were exposed directly and indirectly at different points in their lives.
Objectives include:
1. To establish exposure to multiple contaminants through person-centered 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.
3. To develop a plant-based remediation system for soil metals and train community members to implement it at appropriate sites.
Progress Summary:
Phase I
• Built a digital database of nearly 600 English-language and Spanish-language articles and reports about health and environmental issues and Vieques' history of military exercises.
• Presented the project to over 20 scientists and civic leaders who have conducted social, environmental, and health-related research and community organizing in Vieques. As a result, several of them have agreed to serve on the project's external advisory board. The research team also presented the project to over 40 organizations and residents of Vieques, thus activating community networks and strengthening relationships with residents.
• Held a virtual meeting with community leaders to share an overview of the project, and used the information generated during this discussion as a starting point to develop a draft of the overall Community-Academic Steering Committee (CASC) criteria, roles, responsibilities, and benefits.
• Held a virtual meeting with community organizations and residents to discuss the CASC and CBPR processes. Many of these individuals and organizations nominated themselves and others for the CASC.
• Formally established CASC and held three meetings between January and April 30, 2021.
• During the academic year 2020-2021, the team recruited graduate and undergraduate student researchers working on collecting literature for several project areas. Under the guidance of the co-PIs, they started collecting materials that we will use at various stages of the project and will share with community members through the project website.
• Met with the EPA Vieques Superfund Team members to provide an overview of the project, ask and answer questions.
• Organized four subcommittees to work on the Community-Based Participatory Research principles that will guide the project, the illness/health focus, organizing open community meetings, and communications.
• Developed a comprehensive website to provide detailed information about the project to the community (saludparavieques.org).
Future Activities:
Increased travel to Vieques to conduct in-person CASC meetings, focus groups, and open community meetings; development of the paper sensors and Citizen Science kits; conduct in-person Citizen Science and phytoremediation training workshops; development of the Vieques-specific Life History Calendars used the human health assessment (including timeline interviews).
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 10 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), Nanosensors, PPGIS, TIE, iceberg modeling, Ampli, bioremediation.Relevant Websites:
Vieques: Ambiente, Salud y Comunitaria Exit
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.