| Closing the Research Loop: A Risk-Based Approach for Communicating Results of Air Pollution Exposure Studies Devon C. Payne-Sturges,1 Margo Schwab,2 and Timothy J. Buckley1 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences and 2Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Abstract
Communities have long been concerned about the environmental health and environmental quality of their neighborhoods. Community-based exposure assessments have the potential to be an effective way to address these concerns. The success of such studies depends critically on the effective translation and communication of study results back to the study participants and the community. In this article we describe the communication approach applied as part of the South Baltimore Community Exposure Study. Specifically, in conjunction with collecting measurements, we asked the community to define questions they wanted answered and the way in which they wanted to receive study results. To meet their needs, we applied the risk assessment framework. The approach we developed helped residents interpret exposure assessment measurements and gave them the raw materials to effect change in their community. The risk-based approach to presenting participant and community results provides the means to move beyond traditional reporting of concentration values in three important ways. First, risk takes into consideration toxicity, thereby enabling a dialogue about community health concerns. Second, risk provides a common denominator so that exposure and risk can be compared and priorities identified. Third, exposure and risk can be summed, thereby meeting the community's need for information regarding cumulative exposure. This approach may be a useful model for other researchers conducting exposure assessments in response to community concerns. Key words: personal exposure monitoring, risk communication, urban communities, volatile organic compounds. Environ Health Perspect 112:28-34 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6354 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 1 October 2003]
Address correspondence to D. Payne-Sturges, National Center for Environmental Economics, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building, MC 1809T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 USA. Telephone: (202) 566-2316. Fax: (202) 566-2336. E-mail: payne-sturges.devon@epa.gov We dedicate this article to D. McGuigan, a South Baltimore community leader who fought generously and tirelessly for community environmental health concerns. We thank all the community residents who gave of their time and opened their homes to participate in this study ; A. O'Malley for her invaluable assistance in recruiting study subjects ; and T. Burke and the Johns Hopkins Risk Science and Public Policy Institute for their advice and consultation ; and M. Trush and the Johns Hopkins National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center in Urban Environmental Health (P30 ES 03819) for support. Members of our community advisory committee, including the late D. McGuigan, President of Concerned Citizens for a Better Brooklyn, as well as M. Rosso, D. Schuyler, R. Kolber, and the late A. Bonenberger, provided valuable insight and advice. This work is based on a community-based exposure study that was conducted initially through pilot funding by the U.S. EPA Region III (grant MM993948) , with subsequent funding by the Mickey Leland National Center for Urban Air Toxics Research and the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 25 March 2003 ; accepted 1 October 2003.
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