Community-academic partnership to address environmental contamination and health - PROJECT SUMMARY
Activity from steel, petroleum, and chemical industries has resulted in extensive metal and organic compound
contamination in northern Lake County, Indiana. Residents have consistently voiced the need for more
community input and unbiased data on the extent and the health impacts of their chemical exposures. Many of
these contaminants, individually, are recognized as neurological toxicants; however, scientific understanding of
the cumulative impact of exposure to multiple contaminants remains unclear. Therefore, our goal is to conduct
a community-engaged assessment of the patterns of exposure to metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
as well as their potential associations with selected health outcomes, particularly neurological health. We will
accomplish this through completion of a cross-sectional study of 300 adults and 100 children from northern Lake
County, Indiana. Community engagement will be achieved through a) engagement with a Community Advisory
Board (CAB) to provide advice on all aspects of the project; b) employment of residents to serve as Community
Health Workers (CHWs) to work closely with individual residents to share information about the project, recruit
participants, and conduct study visits; c) empowerment of participants by involving them in collecting their own
environmental and biological samples through a specialized sampling kit; and d) community outreach. In Aim 1,
we will determine a) toxic metal concentrations in house dust, soils, tap water, hair and toenail samples as well
as b) benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other common VOCs in
ground-level air samples and silicone wristbands. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ambient air samples will
also be determined. CHWs will show participants how to collect samples from their home using the sampling kit.
The kit components have been validated; samples will be analyzed by scientific staff using semi-automated X-
ray fluorimeters (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and gas chromatograph mass
spectrometers (GC-MS). In Aim 2, we will assess the correlation of mixed chemical exposure with self-reported
general health status, cognitive and emotional function, and epigenetic profiles. Trained study staff will be trained
to administer the cognitive battery from the NIH Toolbox via videoconference. Epigenetic changes include altered
methylation patterns in genes known to be related to neurologic disease. In Aim 3, we will evaluate the
effectiveness of our community engagement strategies. Specifically, we will explore whether these strategies
are effective at promoting participation in project activities and increasing the knowledge of environmental and
health issues. At the conclusion of this community engaged research, we will have completed a high-quality
assessment of the extent and characteristics of exposure to metals and VOCs in northern Lake County;
determined correlations of these exposures with selected health outcomes; and determined which community
engagement methods were most effective in this community.
