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Protecting Children from Toxic Waste: Data-Usability Evaluation Can Deter Flawed Cleanup

Author

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  • Kristin Shrader-Frechette

    (Department of Biological Sciences, 100 Malloy Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA)

  • Andrew M. Biondo

    (Department of Economics, 3060 Jenkins Nanovic Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA)

Abstract

Nearly 25 percent of US children live within 2 km of toxic-waste sites, most of which are in urban areas. They face higher rates of cancer than adults, partly because the dominant contaminants at most US hazardous-waste sites include genotoxic carcinogens, like trichloroethylene, that are much more harmful to children. The purpose of this article is to help protect the public, especially children, from these threats and to improve toxics-remediation by beginning to test our hypothesi s: If site-remediation assessments fail data-usability evaluation (DUE), they likely compromise later cleanups and public health, especially children’s health. To begin hypothesis-testing, we perform a focused DUE for an unremediated, Pasadena, California toxic site. Our DUE methods are (a) comparing project-specific, remediation-assessment data with the remediation-assessment conceptual site model (CSM), in order to identify data gaps, and (b) using data-gap directionality to assess possible determinate bias (whether reported toxics risks are lower/higher than true values). Our results reveal (1) major CSM data gaps, particularly regarding Pasadena-toxic-site risks to children; (2) determinate bias, namely, risk underestimation; thus (3) likely inadequate remediation. Our discussion shows that if these results are generalizable, requiring routine, independent, DUEs might deter flawed toxic-site assessment/cleanup and resulting health threats, especially to children.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristin Shrader-Frechette & Andrew M. Biondo, 2020. "Protecting Children from Toxic Waste: Data-Usability Evaluation Can Deter Flawed Cleanup," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-35, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:2:p:424-:d:306502
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michaels, D. & Monforton, C., 2005. "Manufacturing uncertainty: Contested science and the protection of the public's health and environment," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(S1), pages 39-48.
    2. Gianluigi De Gennaro & Genoveffa Farella & Annalisa Marzocca & Antonio Mazzone & Maria Tutino, 2013. "Indoor and Outdoor Monitoring of Volatile Organic Compounds in School Buildings: Indicators Based on Health Risk Assessment to Single out Critical Issues," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Claudia Persico & David Figlio & Jeffrey Roth, 2016. "Inequality Before Birth: The Developmental Consequences of Environmental Toxicants," NBER Working Papers 22263, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kristin Shrader-Frechette & Andrew M. Biondo, 2021. "Health Misinformation about Toxic-Site Harm: The Case for Independent-Party Testing to Confirm Safety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-33, April.
    2. Kristin Shrader-Frechette, 2022. "Does Hazardous-Waste Testing Follow Technical Guidance, Thus Help Protect Environmental Justice and Health?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-30, June.

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