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Urban agriculture presents the opportunity for increased availability of local, fresh foods; however, exposure to lead soil contamination can occur through gardening in urban environments. Through a community-engaged partnership, we implemented Soil Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnerships (soilSHOPs), in-person and virtually, to screen soils for lead in Atlanta, Georgia. These soilSHOPs inform best practices for increasing awareness about lead exposure and grounding interventions in residents' lived experiences and also led the US Environmental Protection Agency to identify a Superfund site.

Objectives Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease have been documented for the past 2 decades; however, the social determinants of health (SDH) that contribute to these disparities are not well studied. The objective of this narrative review was to characterize SDH to inform efforts to reduce disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease.Methods We conducted a narrative review of articles published from January 1979 through October 2019 that focused on disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia (inclusive of bacterial pneumonia and/or community-acquired pneumonia) among adults and children (excluding articles that were limited to people aged <18 years). We identified 220 articles, of which 19 met our criteria: original research, published in English, and examined Legionnaires’ disease or pneumonia, health disparities, and SDH. We organized findings using the Healthy People 2030 SDH domains: economic stability, education access and quality, social and community context, health care access and quality, and neighborhood and built environment.Results Of the 19 articles reviewed, multiple articles examined disparities in incidence of Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia related to economic stability/income (n = 13) and comorbidities (n = 10), and fewer articles incorporated SDH variables related to education (n = 3), social support (none), health care access (n = 1), and neighborhood and built environment (n = 6) in their analyses.Conclusions Neighborhood and built-environment factors such as housing, drinking water infrastructure, and pollutant exposures represent critical partnership and research opportunities. More research that incorporates SDH and multilevel, cross-sector interventions is needed to address disparities in Legionnaires’ disease incidence.

With the significant increase in the use of household cleaners, disinfectants, and hand sanitizers among the general population in an effort to prevent SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission, and the notable knowledge gaps about their safe preparation, use, and storage, this report underscores the importance of educating transplant candidates and recipients on the proper use of such cleaning and disinfecting products.

During the past several decades, unprecedented global changes in climate have given rise to an increase in extreme weather and other climate events and their consequences such as heavy rainfall, hurricanes, flooding, heat waves, wildfires, and air pollution. These climate effects have direct impacts on human health such as premature death, injuries, exacerbation of health conditions, disruption of mental well-being, as well as indirect impacts through food- and water-related infections and illnesses. While all populations are at risk for these adverse health outcomes, some populations are at greater risk because of multiple vulnerabilities resulting from increased exposure to risk-prone areas, increased sensitivity due to underlying health conditions, and limited adaptive capacity primarily because of a lack of economic resources to respond adequately. We discuss current governmental public health responses and their future opportunities to improve resilience of special populations at greatest risk for adverse health outcomes. Vulnerability assessment, adaptation plans, public health emergency response, and public health agency accreditation are all current governmental public health actions. Governmental public health opportunities include integration of these current responses with health equity initiatives and programs in communities.

AbstractObjectiveA chlorine gas release occurred at a poultry processing plant as a result of an accidental mixing of sodium hypochlorite and an acidic antimicrobial treatment. We evaluated the public health and emergency medical services response and developed and disseminated public health recommendations to limit the impact of future incidents.MethodsWe conducted key informant interviews with the state health department; local fire, emergency medical services, and police departments; county emergency management; and representatives from area hospitals to understand the response mechanisms employed for this incident.ResultsAfter being exposed to an estimated 40-pound chlorine gas release, 170 workers were triaged on the scene and sent to 5 area hospitals. Each hospital redistributed staff or called in extra staff (eg, physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists) in response to the event. Interviews with hospital staff emphasized the need for improved communication with responders at the scene of a chemical incident.ConclusionsWhile responding, hospitals handled the patient surge without outside assistance because of effective planning, training, and drilling. The investigation highlighted that greater interagency communication can play an important role in ensuring that chemical incident patients are managed and treated in a timely manner. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:553–556)