Grantee Research Project Results

2024 Progress Report: Integrating And Informing Actionable Agricultural Community Tools (II-ACT): Using Risk-Based Approaches For Evaluating Cumulative Early Life Environmental Stressors

EPA Grant Number: R840631
Title: Integrating And Informing Actionable Agricultural Community Tools (II-ACT): Using Risk-Based Approaches For Evaluating Cumulative Early Life Environmental Stressors
Investigators: Faustman, Elaine , Griffith, William C. , Seto, Edmund , Karr, Catherine , Marsillach, Judit , Min, Esther , Wallace, James C , Sherris, Allison R
Institution: University of Washington
EPA Project Officer: Brooks, Donald
Project Period: December 1, 2023 through May 2, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2023 through November 30,2024
Project Amount: $1,896,439
RFA: Center for Early Lifestage Vulnerabilities to Environmental Stressors - Cumulative Health Impacts for Children in Underserved Rural Agricultural Communities in the United States Request for Applications (RFA) (2023) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Biomarkers to Environmental Health and Risk Assessment , Children's Health , Endocrine Disruptors , Environment

Objective:

There are urgent research needs to investigate adverse cumulative health impacts from exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors for children. We will build on the strengths of our current and long-standing Children’s Health Cohorts to incorporate cumulative health impacts by framing risk-based” approaches for evaluating cumulative early life environmental stressors.” Towards this end, our Center will utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods for assessing risk which integrate “data and information from multiple disciplines, such as epidemiology, toxicology, exposure science, risk assessment, public health, social science and environmental science.” This research will directly address the challenge of single chemical evaluations and move it forward to consider cumulative impacts from both chemical and non-chemical stressors. 

We will use the modeling to improve and clarify the association of exposure and response. Such approaches will allow us to triangulate multiple sources of data to enhance and strengthen the initial associations across this example agricultural cohort. The availability of various types of exposome data for complex mixtures alongside detailed metabolism, integrative biomarkers and genomic variability data illustrate the types of approaches and case studies we need to address our objective of developing exposome frame methods for evaluating chemical and non-chemical stressors. 

Project 1– Developing the Agricultural Exposome​

• • Using new methods of triangulation and AI to integrate cutting edge biomarkers across longitudinal Children’s Cohort data​

Project 2– Mapping Cumulative Hazards​

• • Using geo-special constructs to map chemical and non-chemical stressors across agricultural areas​

Translation Core​

• • Community informed Participatory Dialogue and Two-way learning Constructs

Progress Summary:

• First community event in Yakima on March 26, 2024
• Second community event in Yakima on September 17, 2024
• Completed plasma cytokine analysis and data analysis in progress
• Organizing the External Advisory Committee meeting in March 2025
• Developed Quality Assurance Project Plan, which was approved by EPA program officer

Future Activities:

• Integrative data analysis of cytokine data along with extent data using the exposomic approaches
• Model development utilizing the existing geo-special data and constructs to map chemical and non-chemical stressors across agricultural areas
• Conducting Focus groups to gather community inputs to develop outreach program sharing the study findings

Supplemental Keywords:

Child environmental health. Agricultural community, environmental justice/equity, exposomic, risk analysis and communications

Relevant Websites:

Integrating and Informing Actionable Agricultural Community Tools (II-ACT) | Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Exit