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Advice and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Citizen-Science Environmental Health Assessments

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy M. Barzyk

    (National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA)

  • Hongtai Huang

    (Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA)

  • Ronald Williams

    (National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA)

  • Amanda Kaufman

    (Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA)

  • Jonathan Essoka

    (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA)

Abstract

Citizen science provides quantitative results to support environmental health assessments (EHAs), but standardized approaches do not currently exist to translate findings into actionable solutions. The emergence of low-cost portable sensor technologies and proliferation of publicly available datasets provides unparalleled access to supporting evidence; yet data collection, analysis, interpretation, visualization, and communication are subjective approaches that must be tailored to a decision-making audience capable of improving environmental health. A decade of collaborative efforts and two citizen science projects contributed to three lessons learned and a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that address the complexities of environmental health and interpersonal relations often encountered in citizen science EHAs. Each project followed a structured step-by-step process in order to compare and contrast methods and approaches. These lessons and FAQs provide advice to translate citizen science research into actionable solutions in the context of a diverse range of environmental health issues and local stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy M. Barzyk & Hongtai Huang & Ronald Williams & Amanda Kaufman & Jonathan Essoka, 2018. "Advice and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Citizen-Science Environmental Health Assessments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:960-:d:145748
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Davyda Hammond & Kathryn Conlon & Timothy Barzyk & Teresa Chahine & Valerie Zartarian & Brad Schultz, 2011. "Assessment and Application of National Environmental Databases and Mapping Tools at the Local Level to Two Community Case Studies," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 475-487, March.
    2. Gary S. Young & Mary A. Fox & Michael Trush & Norma Kanarek & Thomas A. Glass & Frank C. Curriero, 2012. "Differential Exposure to Hazardous Air Pollution in the United States: A Multilevel Analysis of Urbanization and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Sarah Alves & Joan Tilghman & Arlene Rosenbaum & Devon C. Payne-Sturges, 2012. "U.S. EPA Authority to Use Cumulative Risk Assessments in Environmental Decision-Making," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Ken Sexton, 2012. "Cumulative Risk Assessment: An Overview of Methodological Approaches for Evaluating Combined Health Effects from Exposure to Multiple Environmental Stressors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Fernández, Roberto J., 2016. "How to be a more effective environmental scientist in management and policy contexts," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 171-176.
    6. Yago Martín & Marcos Rodrigues Mimbrero & María Zúñiga-Antón, 2017. "Community vulnerability to hazards: introducing local expert knowledge into the equation," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 89(1), pages 367-386, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sandie Ha & Carrie Nobles & Jenna Kanner & Seth Sherman & Seung-Hyun Cho & Neil Perkins & Andrew Williams & William Grobman & Joseph Biggio & Akila Subramaniam & Marion Ouidir & Zhen Chen & Pauline Me, 2020. "Air Pollution Exposure Monitoring among Pregnant Women with and without Asthma," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-16, July.

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