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CBRA Bulletin - September 2009
This new Community-Based Risk Assessment (CBRA) Listserv is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and managed through the EPA's National Center of Environmental Research (NCER). Please feel free to forward the listserv messages to interested colleagues or ask them to join!
News and Opportunities | Featured Resource | Featured Science Articles
- CDC Chronic Disease Indicators Web Site
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Community Health and Program Services branch in the Division of Adult and Community Health has updated their Chronic Disease Indicators Web Site to include large metropolitan areas. This update provides users with an online tool that now allows them to compare data on the prevalence of chronic diseases in large metropolitan areas, as well as at state and national levels. Users will be able to generate profiles comparing the prevalence of chronic disease in 38 large metropolitan areas, such as Fulton County (Atlanta), King County (Seattle), Maricopa County (Phoenix), and New York City. The CDC Web site draws upon numerous data sets to collect information on 98 chronic disease indicators, including measures related to physical activity, tobacco use, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions and behaviors. The information is used by state health departments, chronic disease directors, academic institutions, and researchers to guide and inform public health practice. The web site is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/cdi/. - Upcoming Teleconference on Neurotoxic Effects of Lead, Tobacco, and Maternal Depression
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AAIDD) Environmental Health Initiative (EHI) has announced the next teleconference, titled “A Tale of Three Neurotoxins: Lead, Tobacco, and Maternal Depression,” presented by Michael Weitzman, MD, on Tuesday, September 15th. This presentation will review what is known, and what we recognize that we still do not know about the effects of low level lead exposure, prenatal tobacco and postnatal secondhand smoke exposure, and maternal depression on child behavior and development. At the end of the presentation, the audience will have a better appreciation of the risks for being exposed to, and the consequences of each of these exposures, as well as strategies for prevention and treatment. For more information, visit: www.ehinitiative.org
- NIH Funding Opportunity to Build Sustainable Infrastructure for CBPR
The National Institutes of Health has announced this unique funding opportunity to support the development, expansion, or reconfiguration of infrastructures needed to facilitate meaningful community-based participatory research (CBPR). This infrastructure must include a “Community Research Associate” who will be a community representative and serve as a primary liaison between the academic health center and the local community. More information can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-010.html. - E-Commons – Virtual Work Room for Environment & Health Nurses
E-commons is for people concerned about a wide range of issues related to the environment and human health. Co-created by the world of nurses, this site provides information and links to credible sources from non-profit organizations, the government, and academia. E-Commons provides virtual workrooms and employs social networking tools utilized for sharing knowledge. In addition, E-Commons encourages sharing and exploration by allowing multiple individuals and organizations to co-own the site, link to their own site, and send traffic back and forth, creating a virtual work room for people with similar interests. Explore the E-Commons at: http://e-commons.org - CDC National Environmental Public Health Conference
Discount registration has been extended until October 9th for the 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference, “Healthy People in a Healthy Environment.” The Conference is being organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), in conjunction with the National Environmental Health Association. The conference will be held October 26-28 in Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s conference aims to develop and encourage innovative strategies for addressing existing and emerging issues and to provide a forum for NCEH, ATSDR, and its many partners to share research, scientific, and program information about environmental public health priorities. Conference details and registration can be found at: http://www.team-psa.com/2009nephc/main.asp - EPA STAR Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study.
EPA is looking to fund students who are committed to pursuing a career related to protecting human health and the environment. Specific topics of interest include: public health sciences, risk assessment and decision making, pesticides and toxic substances, and environmental behavior and decision making. The deadline is October 22nd. The Agency plans to award approximately 120 new fellowships. Master’s level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support. For more information, visit: http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2009/2009_star_gradfellow.html - EPA Funding Opportunity for Clean Air Research Centers
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for Clean Air Research Centers. EPA is interested in supporting research on the health effects of exposure to particulate matter (PM), ozone, and other air pollutants, both singly and in multipollutant atmospheres. Priority research areas include: explaining regional and temporal differences in air pollution risk; determining the origins and transformations of multi-pollutant atmospheres and their constituents; defining exposure/concentration-response relationships; assessing susceptibility; understanding PM effects in a multipollutant context; and developing greater understanding of PM and ozone health effects. EPA is seeking proposals for integrated, multidisciplinary research centers that will advance understanding of air pollution and human health effects. The deadline is November 16th. For more information, visit: http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2009/2009_star_clean_air.html - CDC’s Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute – Accepting Applications
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) will accept applications from August 15-October 31 for the class of 2009-2010. Each year, approximately 20 environmental public health professionals are admitted to the program. EPHLI enhances the leadership capabilities of state, local, and tribal environmental public health professionals. Fellows in the one-year program spend several hours per week working on their project and completing homework assignments in addition to attending two in-person working sessions and a concluding graduation program. Find more information on EPHLI at: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EPHLI/default.htm
The Community-Engaged Scholarship (CES) Toolkit from CCPH Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) introduces the Community-Engagement
The CES Toolkit is designed to provide community-engaged health professional faculty with a set of tools to carefully plan and document their community-engaged scholarship and produce strong portfolios for promotion and tenure. The CES includes the following components:
- Planning for Promotion and Tenure – role of mentors, developing a vision for community work and strategies for documenting the value of work
- Creating a Strong Portfolio – details for preparing a portfolio for promotion and tenure review
- Portfolio Examples – biosketches and portfolio materials from select faculty members
- References and Resources – citations, glossary of terms, example of schools that support community-engaged faculty, a list of agencies that fund community-engaged scholarship.
EPA/CDC/ATSDR Federal Grants Guide for Community Environmental and Public Health Activities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have developed a comprehensive guide on current funding opportunities available to groups interested in improving the environmental health of their communities. This guide is targeted to community groups, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, state and local governments, and tribes that are working on projects related to identifying, monitoring, and cleaning up toxic contaminants in their communities. This guide includes:
- Useful tips for groups to identify and apply for funding;
- A quick reference matrix guide; and
- A comprehensive description of Federal grants.
- Probabilistic Cumulative Risk Assessment of Anti-Androgenic Pesticides in Food
Food Chemistry and Toxicology (Epublication ahead of print) by AK Muller, S Bosgra, PE Boon, HV Voet, E Nielsen, O Ladefoged
Abstract:
In this paper, we present a cumulative risk assessment of three anti-androgenic pesticides (vinclozolin, procymidone and prochloraz) using the Relative Potency Factor (RPF) approach and an Integrated Probabilistic Risk Assessment (IPRA) model. RPFs for each substance were estimated for three reproductive endpoints (ano-genital distance, and weights of the seminal vesicles and the musculus levator ani/bulbocavernosus) in male rat foetuses exposed in utero. The cumulative dietary intake was estimated based on consumption data and residue data from the Netherlands. The IPRA model combines variability in both exposure and sensitivity between individuals into a distribution of Individual Margins of Exposures (IMoEs) and IMoEs of 1 or less indicate a possible concern. The assessment did not result in IMoEs 1. The endpoint 'weight of seminal vesicles' resulted in the lowest IMoEs (0.1th percentile: 198) and the fraction of individuals with IMoEs < 1000 was 1.43%. For the two other endpoints, the fractions were slightly lower. Thus, cumulative dietary exposure of Dutch women to vinclozolin, procymidone and prochloraz is not likely to be of concern for the reproductive development of their male foetuses. However, other anti-androgenic substances and exposure routes should also be included in the cumulative assessment to make it more comprehensive.
- Chloroform in Indoor Swimming-Pool Air: Monitoring and Modeling Coupled with the Effects of Environmental Conditions and Occupant Activities
Water Research (Volume 43, No 15: 3693-3704) by HT Hsu, MJ Chen, CH Lin, WS Chou, JH Chen
Abstract:
Human exposure to chloroform in indoor swimming pools has been recognized as a potential health concern. Although environmental monitoring is a useful technique to investigate chloroform concentrations in indoor swimming-pool air, in practice, the interpretations of measured data would inevitably run into difficulties due to the complex interactions among the numerous variables, including environmental conditions and occupant activities. Considering of the relevant variables of environmental conditions and occupant activities, a mathematical model was first proposed to predict the chloroform concentration in indoor swimming-pool air. The developed model provides a straightforward, conceptually simple way to predict the indoor air chloroform concentration by calculating the mass flux, J, and the Péclet number, Pe, and by using a heuristic value of the indoor airflow recycle ratio, R. The good agreement between model simulation and measured data demonstrates the feasibility of using the presented model for indoor air quality management, operational guidelines and health-related risk assessment.
- Keeping Kids Smokefree: Lessons Learned on Community Participation
Health Education Research (Epublication Sept. 9, 2009) by Charlier N, Glover M, Robertson J
Abstract:
Community participation in program decision-making and implementation is an ideal that community and academic stakeholders aspire to in participatory research. This ideal, however, can be difficult to achieve. We describe lessons learned about community participation from a quasi-experimental trial aimed at reducing the uptake of smoking among pre-adolescents in a community with a high percentage of Maori and Pacific Island people. The intervention involves students, parents, school teachers and management, extended families and members of the wider community. A total of approximately 4000 students (and their parents) of four urban Auckland schools were enrolled in the study over 3 years. The intervention is carried out through collaborations between public health professionals, academic institutions and school personnel.
In order to enhance community participation, we conclude that (i) time commitment is needed to establish long-term ongoing relationships through face-to-face communication, (ii) research team members should ideally share similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds to the target audience and have in-depth understanding of and experience in the community milieu and (iii) collaborative partnerships between academic institutions and public health services are necessary to create strength and cohesion, and assist with clear articulation of the research project mission and objectives.
- Perspectives of Cumulative Risks and Impacts
International Journal of Toxicology (Epublication Sept. 29, 2009) by Faust JB
Abstract:
Cumulative risks and impacts have taken on different meanings in different regulatory and programmatic contexts at federal and state government levels. Traditional risk assessment methodologies, with considerable limitations, can provide a framework for the evaluation of cumulative risks from chemicals. Under an environmental justice program in California, cumulative impacts are defined to include exposures, public health effects, or environmental effects in a geographic area from the emission or discharge of environmental pollution from all sources, through all media. Furthermore, the evaluation of these effects should take into account sensitive populations and socioeconomic factors where possible and to the extent data are available. Key aspects to this potential approach include the consideration of exposures (versus risk), socioeconomic factors, the geographic or community-level assessment scale, and the inclusion of not only health effects but also environmental effects as contributors to impact. Assessments of this type extend the boundaries of the types of information that toxicologists generally provide for risk management decisions.
- Do Standard Risk Assessment Procedures Adequately Account for Cumulative Risks? An Exploration of the Possibilities Using California's Air Toxics Hot Spots Guidelines
International Journal of Toxicology (Epublication Sept. 22, 2009) by Salmon AG
Abstract:
Existing risk assessment data and procedures can be used to address the estimation of cumulative risk, but there are several uncertainties. These are explored in the context of the State of California's Air Toxic Hot Spots program. Hazard identification for single agents is an established procedure but is much more complex for incompletely characterized or variable mixtures. Hazards from exposure to multiple agents are often only identified by chance. Similar concerns affect dose-response assessment. Although additivity is assumed by default for similar effects at low doses, exceptions are known for specific mixtures and for higher dose rates. Exposure assessment is especially complex for multiple sources, multiple agents from different sources, and target populations or individuals who face cumulative, but not necessarily simultaneous, impacts. With these contributory uncertainties, providing an integrated analysis that can inform risk management and presenting this to a diverse and often already stressed community are challenging.