Community reporting of ambient air polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations near a Superfund site

Kathryn S Tomsho,Staci M Rubin,Richard Juang,Claire B Miller,Andres Martinez,Wendy Heiger-Bernays,Sylvia Broude,Komal Basra,Madeleine K Scammell,Keri C Hornbuckle

doi:10.1007/s11356-017-0286-6

Abstract

In this manuscript, we describe the process of establishing partnerships for community-based environmental exposure research, the tools and methods implemented for data report-back to community members, and the results of evaluations of these efforts. Data discovery and report-back materials developed by Statistics for Action (SFA) were employed as the framework to communicate the environmental data to community members and workshops. These data communication and research translation efforts are described in detail and evaluated for effectiveness based on feedback provided from community members who attended the workshops. Overall, the methods were mostly effective for the intended data communication.

Highlights

New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in Massachusetts stretches across 18,000 acres in the Acushnet River estuary and Buzzards Bay
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in industrial processes until the 1970s, when they were banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
To implement the Statistics for Action (SFA) First Look at Technical Documents workshop, Boston University Superfund Research Program (BUSRP) members printed the dataset for each of the 18 monitoring sites’ first two rounds of ambient air PCB concentrations

Summary

Introduction

New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in Massachusetts stretches across 18,000 acres in the Acushnet River estuary and Buzzards Bay. PCBs were used in industrial processes until the 1970s, when they were banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). In NBH, the primary source of the PCBs was the Aerovox facility, formerly located in the Upper Harbor (Superfund, 2014). The majority of PCBs exist on the harbor floor, bound to sediment. After hot spots were removed and taken off-site, areas of concern would be dredged and placed within confined disposal facilities, which are engineered structures that isolate dredged material from surrounding water for containment, with the goal of reducing concentrations to meet guidelines that are intended to improve local environmental health (District, 2015)

Methods

Results

Conclusion