EPA Research Partner Support Story: Persistent environmental health disparities research
Partners: Public health agencies of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah; New Mexico Environment Department; New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking Program; New Mexico Department of Health Private Well Program
Challenge: Persistent environmental health disparities that are common to the four states such as heavy metal mixtures and well water concerns
Resource: Center for Native American Environmental Health Equity Research
Project Period: 2016 – 2021
Many Native American communities are impacted by mine wastes and heavy metal contamination from abandoned mines. There is also community concern about how these contaminants impact human health and cultural practices. To help address these challenges, the EPA and NIH jointly funded the Center for Native American Environmental Health Equity Research from 2016 to 2021. (The Center had previously been funded with other grants including from NIH and continued funding since 2021 is being provided by NIH.)
“The Center’s research results informed the work on exposure assessments to metals from private drinking water conducted among communities in the Four Corners’ states regions; we look forward to continuing this beneficial exchange of technical expertise.” – New Mexico State Epidemiologist Mike Landen, PhD
The Center investigated various metals of concern (uranium, arsenic, manganese, mercury) and community- relevant metal mixtures in blood and urine samples obtained from community members. They also conducted mechanistic experimental studies to explore immunologic effects. The results of this research were presented at the Four Corners States Biomonitoring Consortium (4CSBC), organized by the state public health agencies of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. At the 2016 Annual 4CSBC Face-to-Face Meeting (September 28-30, 2016, Santa Fe, NM), the Center’s Director presented and contributed to the discussion of biosample collection protocols (blood, urine). She applied the lessons learned in her Center’s previous Navajo Birth Cohort Study (funded by NIH) and analysis of biomonitoring for metals exposure.
- Community Engaged Cumulative Risk Assessment of Exposure to Inorganic Well Water Contaminants, Crow Reservation, Montana (published 2018)
The Consortium developed three studies to investigate exposure and shared regional geophysical, cultural, economic, industrial, agricultural and political environment. For example, the consortium utilized the Center’s findings as a starting point for a study by the Four Corners States Biomonitoring Collaborative entitled, “The private well drinking water and metals contamination study.” A study undertaken by the New Mexico Biomonitoring Program included environmental sampling and assessment of water quality from domestic wells. They conducted laboratory analysis of well-water samples for arsenic, cadmium, manganese, mercury, selenium, and uranium. Testing of water from domestic wells helped to identify potential sources of excessive exposures to those metals. Through this project, participants and communities learned about their water quality and possible actions to control exposures. Ongoing efforts include investigating potential exposures to metals in drinking water across the state, investigating potential exposure to phthalates and other chemicals from the use of plastics and some consumer products, and chemicals used in some pesticides. At the local level, this collaborative project identified potential communities to include for monitoring, strengthened participant recruitment, and built collaborations with local governmental agencies and community coalitions in the recruitment and samples collection processes. The major impact of these efforts included developing states’ capacity to conduct environmental exposure assessments through biomonitoring studies and investigating regional exposure concerns.