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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
4049.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 9:18 AM

Abstract #115617

Collaborative evaluation of toxics use reduction in Vietnamese nail salons: A pilot

Tam Doan, MCP, New Ecology Inc., 130 Bishop Allen Drive, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 354-4099, mt.doan@gmail.com and Madeline Fraser Cook, MCP, New Ecology, Inc., 130 Bishop Allen Dr, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139.

This initiative aimed to build an infrastructure and iterative process for implementing toxics use reduction in Vietnamese-owned nail salons. After conducting a search for safer or less toxic products on the market, New Ecology, Inc. (NEI) developed a framework for evaluating their desirability for introduction into salons. This framework drew upon research and the expertise of both technical experts and salon owners and technicians. Salon owners and technicians also sampled products to test their performance. Collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, the Vietnamese-American Initiative for Development and Pioneer Valley Project were key in gathering information and building relationships with key Vietnamese stakeholders. This presentation summarizes major findings from this pilot and discusses challenges and opportunities for introducing less toxic products and processes into Vietnamese-owned nail salons.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Immigrant Women, Environmental Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Nail Salon Workers: Hazards and Controls

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA