Grantee Research Project Results
2024 Progress Report: Studying Air Pollution-Health-Climate Interactions for People of Color in Southeast Queens, NY: A Community-Based Project
EPA Grant Number: R840474Title: Studying Air Pollution-Health-Climate Interactions for People of Color in Southeast Queens, NY: A Community-Based Project
Investigators: Roberts-Semple, Dawn , Shin, Jin , Gao, Yuan
Institution: City University of New York - York College , City University of New York - Medgar Evers College , Rutgers University - Newark
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: November 1, 2022 through May 12, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2023 through October 31,2024
Project Amount: $1,344,622
RFA: Cumulative Health Impacts at the Intersection of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerable Populations/Lifestages: Community-Based Research for Solutions (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , Human Health , Watersheds
Objective:
To engage Southeast (SE) Queens residents in the measurements of key air pollutants through community-based participatory research (CBPR), increasing their understanding of climatic factors and air pollution impacts on health, and empowering them to use such knowledge to inform policy on alleviating climate impacts and sustaining good health. The specific objectives are: i) to demonstrate the impact of pollutant emissions from waste transfer stations on air quality in SE Queens through research field measurements; ii) train residents to develop community science strategies such as crowdsourcing tools with new knowledge gained from the measurements, enabling those residents facing environmental injustice to mobilize new innovative, low-cost, replicable strategies leading to the development of policy recommendations for better management of waste transfer stations and; iii) translate research data and community input into climate and policy solutions for traffic emission reduction and relief from the current health burden to improve quality of life.
Progress Summary:
A series of training activities promoted community engagement and education, in preparation for our summer intensive air sampling. First, on 12/6/2023, a group of SE Queens residents, community leaders and students traveled from CUNY - York College in Jamaica, NY for a guided tour of the Air Lab at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. Tree leaf collection was demonstrated, and the procedures for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) analysis were explained, including ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), EPA Method 200.8. Second, on 7/16/2024, the group participated in a training at the York Analytical Laboratory in Richmond Hill, Queens, for the deployment of summa canisters (EPA TO-15 method), to collect volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Third, during a subsequent training at CUNY - Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, demonstrations and practice sessions were provided for the group in setting up the MiniVol TAS to collect PM2.5, the FM4 to collect particulate and gaseous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the MicroAeth AE51 to collect black carbon (BC).
All PM2.5 filters were equilibrated in a controlled chamber (mean relative humidity of 30-40% and temperature of 20-23°C) over a 48-hour period for both pre- and post-weighing at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOSHI) at Rutgers University, Busch Campus. The sample weight of each filter was determined by averaging three consecutive weight readings. Daily 24-hour sampling was conducted from 7/16/23 to 8/9/2024 at three SE Queens locations and two distant stations: Brooklyn (11225) and New Jersey (08611) for comparative air sample analysis. The average mass concentration of 44 reliable PM2.5 samples collected at the SE Queens sites was 39 μg/m3, exceeding the EPA daily air quality standard of 35 μg/m³. Notably, ~49% of the samples significantly exceeded the EPA air quality standard: 5 samples exceeded by 240% at Site 1, 7 samples exceeded by an average of 150% at Site 2, and six samples exceeded by an average of 230% at Site 3. These preliminary results indicate that particulate pollution is a serious concern in the study area. Similarly, the average BC concentration of 1,283.94 ng/m³ in SE Queens exceeded California's annual average threshold of approximately 1,000 ng/m³ in urban areas. Conversely, measurements in Brooklyn (710.05 ng/m³) and New Jersey (475.73 ng/m³) were significantly below the threshold. These distinct differences highlight the influence of location-specific factors, and the need for targeted mitigation strategies to address air quality challenges in SE Queens.
Future Activities:
- Data collected from our winter intensive sampling (1/6/2025 to 1/24/2025) and summer 2025 will be analyzed and compared to previous measurements taken in summer 2024, to evaluate temporal and seasonal variations of air pollutant concentrations: toxic metals and organics, NO2, O3, PM2.5, VOCs, PFAS, including statistical analyses to explain possible correlations. The influence of location and weather on air pollutants will be studied further to enrich the analysis and for more robust conclusions, to offer actionable insights into environmental policy and public health improvement.
- Results from the first summer intensive sampling and data analysis will be presented by the research team for discussion with SE Queens residents at the second town hall meeting scheduled for 1/26/2025. More than 2,800 postcards, including the QR code for access to a questionnaire, were mailed to invite SE Queens residents to the town hall meeting organized by community leaders. Feedback provided by the community health survey will be collected and reported subsequently.
- The community leaders will continue to engage waste transfer station management in discussions to monitor and mitigate emissions from their facilities, including plans to build green infrastructure to reduce the impact of dust released into the SE Queens community, in response to our preliminary findings.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Air pollution, public health, community engagement, decision- policymaking, environmental educationRelevant Websites:
Environmental Health Study 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.