This project links breast cancer and environmental justice advocacy through a variety of approaches conducted by Silent Spring Institute, a community-based breast cancer research organization; Communities for a Better Environment, an environmental justice organization and partners from Brown University. The project will conduct home environmental exposure assessments, collecting air and dust samples to assess indoor levels of pollutants, especially endocrine disruptors that are potentially linked to breast cancer, reproductive and neurological development, and other health outcomes. Data collection, analysis, community education, and organizational linkages will occur in two locations - Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a region of unexplained high breast cancer incidences that has been the focus of prior work of Silent Spring Institute, and a new site in Richmond, California, that is largely composed of people of color and impacted by industrial facilities. Study results will be shared both as aggregate information presented through community meetings, news media, and on-line, and as individual report-back information to study participants. Using both report-back approaches, this study will seek to maximize understanding of exposure data and its limitations, and address the ethical issues of ensuring community and individual autonomy, the right to know, and ultimately the right to act on scientific information by reducing exposures.
Specific aims for this project include: 1) Conduct community-based exposure assessment research, collecting dust and air samples to assess levels and sources of pollutants in homes located in Cape Cod and Richmond; 2) Link breast cancer and environmental justice advocacy through community-based outreach, including public meetings, web sites, and publications; 3) Develop ethical methods for reporting back study results to communities and individual study participants, and produce a handbook for general use in reporting results of community exposure studies; 4) Pilot test an intervention to reduce household pollutant levels.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
3R25ES013258-04S1
Application #
7496899
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LWJ-B (EJ))
Program Officer
O'Fallon, Liam
Project Start
2004-09-10
Project End
2009-04-30
Budget Start
2007-05-01
Budget End
2009-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$30,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Silent Spring Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
884556234
City
Newton
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02458
Carrera, Jennifer S; Brown, Phil; Brody, Julia Green et al. (2018) Research altruism as motivation for participation in community-centered environmental health research. Soc Sci Med 196:175-181
Dodson, Robin E; Camann, David E; Morello-Frosch, Rachel et al. (2015) Semivolatile organic compounds in homes: strategies for efficient and systematic exposure measurement based on empirical and theoretical factors. Environ Sci Technol 49:113-22
Dodson, Robin E; Van den Eede, Nele; Covaci, Adrian et al. (2014) Urinary biomonitoring of phosphate flame retardants: levels in California adults and recommendations for future studies. Environ Sci Technol 48:13625-33
Balazs, Carolina L; Morello-Frosch, Rachel (2013) The Three R's: How Community Based Participatory Research Strengthens the Rigor, Relevance and Reach of Science. Environ Justice 6:
Brown, Phil; Brody, Julia Green; Morello-Frosch, Rachel et al. (2012) Measuring the success of community science: the northern California Household Exposure Study. Environ Health Perspect 120:326-31
Dodson, Robin E; Perovich, Laura J; Covaci, Adrian et al. (2012) After the PBDE phase-out: a broad suite of flame retardants in repeat house dust samples from California. Environ Sci Technol 46:13056-66
Dunagan, Sarah C; Dodson, Robin E; Rudel, Ruthann A et al. (2011) Toxics Use Reduction in the Home: Lessons Learned from Household Exposure Studies. J Clean Prod 19:438-444
Adams, Crystal; Brown, Phil; Morello-Frosch, Rachel et al. (2011) Disentangling the exposure experience: the roles of community context and report-back of environmental exposure data. J Health Soc Behav 52:180-96
Rudel, Ruthann A; Dodson, Robin E; Perovich, Laura J et al. (2010) Semivolatile endocrine-disrupting compounds in paired indoor and outdoor air in two northern California communities. Environ Sci Technol 44:6583-90
Brown, Phil; Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Brody, J G et al. (2010) Institutional review board challenges related to community-based participatory research on human exposure to environmental toxins: a case study. Environ Health 9:39

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