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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Jalal Ghaemghami, PhD, Environmental Health Office, Boston Public Health Commission, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02118, 6176782157, jghaemghami@bphc.org, Tony Chaves, Environmental Justice Program, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, Halida Hatic, Greater Boston Breathe Better, US EPA New England, 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100, boston, MA 02114, Laura C. Bickel, Esq, Air Pollution Control Commission, City of Boston Environment Department, One City Hall Plaza, Room 805, Boston, MA 02113, and H. Patricia Hynes, MS, MA, School of Public Health, Boston University, 715 Albany St., Talbot 2 East, Boston, MA 02118.

Identifying how effectively utilize air quality research and its results, in developing local and state policies, educating public and truly addressing community including environmental health and justice, is a great challenge and concern for all stakeholders in many localities. This paper will present an effective approach used in Boston to identify the high-impact points where a joint effort by academics, government, and community organizations can be more influential in the future work of all stakeholders. An air quality symposium, with a specific focus on the ways in which ambient air quality research methods can (and cannot) inform community concerns and public policy decisions, was organized to synthesize available information and to build the infrastructure for future collaborations. The symposium goals are: (1) To provide a non-technical overview of air pollutants research methods used to address air pollution exposures and health risks; (2) To present related studies in the greater Boston area attempted to influence public policy and to determine factors that led to successes and failures; (3)To discuss community perspectives on air pollution concerns within Boston neighborhoods, and to consider how research methods may or may not be influential; and (4) To develop a framework by which the recommendations and guidelines from the symposium can be implemented by researchers, policy makers and community organizations. We describe the efficacy of our approach, barriers and final results of the symposium. We conclude by describing a number of focus areas that stakeholders have and will work together within the new collaboration.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to discuss the means by which air quality research can be linked with community interests and concerns, considering case examples that did/did not use best practices.

Keywords: Environmental Justice, Community Health

Related Web page: www.bphc.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation