268427 Understanding urban gardeners' perceptions of risk from soil contamination: Identifying and sharing resources to mitigate contaminant exposure

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Jared Margulies, MS , Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Katie Dix , Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN), Parks and People Foundation, Baltimore, MD
Brent Kim, MHS , Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
James Harding, MS , Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Anne M. Palmer, MAIA , Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Keeve Nachman, PhD, MHS , Center for a Livable Future and Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Urban community gardens have received wide support for their health, environmental, and social benefits. Risks resulting from residual soil contamination may be faced by those who work in and consume produce from these gardens. This study characterizes perceptions of risk posed by garden soil-based contaminants among urban community gardeners in Baltimore City, and to understand how knowledge about site-based risk is communicated between communities of practice and related organizations. This study utilizes a combination of community gardener surveys as well as key-informant interviews with peer-identified community garden leaders and members of government and non-governmental institutional stakeholders in Baltimore City's community garden network. By analyzing forms of risk knowledge communication between individual, community and institutional networks, this study aims to contextualize how resources and knowledge about public health risks are understood and communicated to and by urban community gardeners. The outcomes of this research will be used to more effectively leverage informational materials and communication networks to address gaps in community gardener knowledge regarding risks associated with gardening in urban environments in Baltimore City. We believe this study will address a growing need for more effective communication on risk topics between relevant institutions and community gardeners.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe perceptions of risk from soil contaminants among community gardeners and members of relevant institutions in Baltimore City 2. Identify gaps in risk knowledge related to soil contaminants among community gardeners and members of relevant institutions in Baltimore City 3. Compare practices to mitigate risk exposures among and between individual community gardens in Baltimore City 4. Analyze knowledge networks related to soil contaminant issues in Baltimore City

Keywords: Urban Health, Environmental Exposures

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: at the Center for a Livable Future I do research and policy writing on soil contaminants in agricultural landscapes, especially focusing on arsenic. I am the project coordinator for the CLF-CGRN funded grant supporting research on risk perception from soil contaminants among Baltimore city urban gardeners. I have training in qualitative research which I acquired as part of my masters program in biodiversity conservation and through meeting requirements to earn a B.A. in Anthropology.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5006.0: *Poster Session*: Environmental health risk sciences