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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Robert Wright, MD¹, Rosalind Wright, MD², Rebecca Jim³, Earl Hatley³, Mark Osborn, MD⁴, Adrienne Ettinger, ScD⁵, Karen E. Peterson, RD, DSc⁶, James Shine, PhD¹, Jonathon Hook⁷, and Howard Hu, MD ScD¹. (1) Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, 617-525-2731, robert.wright@channing.harvard.edu, (2) Chaning Laboratory, 181 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, (3) L.E.A.D. Agency, 19257 South 4403 Drive, Vinita, OK 74301, (4) Integris Baptist Regional Health Center, 200 Second Avenue SW, Miami, OK 74355, (5) Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, (6) Nutrition and Society Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, (7) EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200, Dallas, TX 75202

Exposure to toxic waste may produce health effects that can be insidious in their nature. Toxic waste sites also have adverse financial impacts on communities and may stigmatize community members. Such factors may produce chronic stress and associated stress-related health effects. The effects of chronic stress could add to the toxicity of chemicals. Stress should be recognized as a second potential cause of health problems, as the chemical waste site itself may produce both stress and chemical exposure. This problem may be compounded within toxic waste sites found on tribal lands, as Native American cultural practices may disproportionately expose them to environmental contaminants. The need to maintain a homeland where present and future generations live with a clean, functioning ecosystem should be recognized by government agencies and researchers. Research and remediation efforts at such sites should include culturally appropriate exposure assessments and provide recommendations to reduce exposure within cultural context. In this workshop, we will present the experience of the Metals Assessment Targeting Community Health (MATCH) study, a community-based study of the effects of mining waste at the Tar Creek, OK, Superfund site. The panel will present the process by which the research partnerships between Harvard, L.E.A.D. agency and Integris Hospital developed and how this partnership considers community goals, science and feasibility in developing and addressing the research aims. The workshop will serve as a case study of a CPBR and will discuss strategies aimed at improving the development and implementation of such studies.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• List health effects from toxic waste and chronic stress, and how toxic waste sites create stress
• Articulate procedures for assessing exposure to chemicals within cultural context
• Develop procedures to conduct community based research in partnership with community members and local health care facilities

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No