Using Community-based Participatory Research to Promote Environmental Policy Action in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan has a long history of poor air quality, as well as high asthma rates. Currently, the Detroit metropolitan area is in violation of several air quality standards, including the annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard for fine particles (PM_2.5). Community Action Against Asthma (CAAA) is a CBPR partnership focused on improving the health of children with asthma in two communities within Detroit that demographically have a high proportion of low-income African American and Latino residents. CAAA conducted a three-year exposure assessment in east and southwest Detroit to quantify the community-level exposures to PM_2.5 and other air pollutants within these neighborhoods. Residents of these two communities used this information to advocate for policy change. Towards this end, CAAA has disseminated the research results through fact sheets developed from the study findings and presentations for several environmental policy groups, including the Southeastern Michigan Council of Government's Air Quality Task Force. As a follow-up to the initial analysis, a source apportionment study was conducted and the findings indicated that several local emission sources contributed significantly to the harmful pollution levels in the two communities. Results of the source apportionment will be disseminated via fact sheets and community forums/meetings, and distributed to key environmental policy groups. This presentation will provide an overview of the data collection and analysis methods for the study, a synopsis of the study results, and a description of the policy advocacy efforts that have/are taking place along with lessons learned in applying research findings to affect policy.