Abstract
: Background and aimThe Vasilikos Energy Center (VEC) is a large hydrocarbon industrial hub actively operating in Cyprus. There is strong public interest by the communities surrounding VEC to engage with all stakeholders towards the sustainable development of hydrocarbon in the region. The methodological framework of the exposome concept would allow for the holistic identification of all relevant environmental exposures by engaging the most relevant stakeholders in industrially contaminated sites. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate the stakeholders’ perceptions of the environmental and public health risks and recommended actions associated with the VEC hydrocarbon activities, and (ii) assess the stakeholders’ understanding and interest towards exposome-based technologies for use in oil and gas applications. Methods: Six major groups of stakeholders were identified: local authorities, small-medium industries (SMIs) (including multi-national companies), small-medium enterprises (SMEs), academia/professional associations, government, and the general public residing in the communities surrounding the VEC. During 2019–2021, a suite of stakeholder engagement initiatives was deployed, including semi-structured interviews (n = 32), a community survey for the general public (n = 309), technical meetings, and workshops (n = 4). Results from the semi-structured interviews, technical meetings and workshops were analyzed through thematic analysis and results from the community survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Almost all stakeholders expressed the need for the implementation of a systematic health monitoring system for the VEC broader area and its surrounding residential communities, including frequent measurements of air pollutant emissions. Moreover, stricter policies by the government about licensing and monitoring of hydrocarbon activities and proper communication to the public and the mass media emerged as important needs. The exposome concept was not practiced by the SMEs, but SMIs showed willingness to use it in the future as part of their research and development activities. Conclusions: The sustainable development of hydrocarbon exploitation and processing prospects for Cyprus involves the VEC. Continuous and active collaboration and mutual feedback among all stakeholders involved with the VEC is essential, as this may allow future environmental and occupational health initiatives to be formalized.
Highlights
The process of understanding public perceptions about environmental health hazards, exposures, and health impacts often feeds policy making and decision support systemsInt
Almost all stakeholders expressed the immediate need for the design and execution of population health monitoring and impact studies for the Vasilikos Energy Center (VEC) and its surrounding residential communities, including systematic measurements of gaseous pollutant emissions
Stricter policies by the government about licensing and monitoring of hydrocarbon activities and proper information dissemination to the public and the mass media emerged as important needs
Summary
The process of understanding public perceptions about environmental health hazards, exposures, and health impacts often feeds policy making and decision support systemsInt. The process of understanding public perceptions about environmental health hazards, exposures, and health impacts often feeds policy making and decision support systems. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 13133 of public health [1,2]. Residents’ perceptions about environmental hazards in and around industrial contaminated areas (ICS) have always attracted attention [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. The top three environmental issues of concern that may affect respondents’ health in ICS in the USA were chemicals in consumer products, outdoor air quality, and drinking water quality, while the most frequently perceived health issues were respiratory illness, asthma, and cancer [2]. Pollution and health effects, followed by reliability, damage to nature, and cost, were among the greatest concerns of USA residents towards solid waste management facilities [6]
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