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Building on the success of initiatives put forth during the COVID-19 pandemic response, US health officials are expanding wastewater surveillance programs to track other target pathogens and diseases of public health interest. The Houston Health Department in Houston, Texas, USA, conducted a hypothesis-generating study whereby infectious disease subject matter experts suggested potential targets. This study addressed 2 criteria recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for selecting wastewater targets. Results can be used as a basis of a questionnaire for a future population-based study to recommend targets of highest priority to include for expanded wastewater sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial disasters have caused hazardous air pollution and public health impacts. Response officials have developed limited exposure guidelines to direct them during the event; often, guidelines are outdated and may not represent relevant elevated‐exposure periods. The 2019 Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) fire in Houston, Texas led to large‐scale releases of benzene and presented a public health threat. This incident highlights the need for effective response and nimble, rapid public health communication. We developed a data‐driven visualization tool to store, display, and interpret ambient benzene concentrations to assist health officials during environmental emergencies. Guidance values to interpret risk from acute exposure to benzene were updated using recent literature that also considers exposure periodicity. The visualization platform can process data from different sampling instruments and air monitors automatically, and displays information publicly in real time, along with the associated risk information and action recommendations. The protocol was validated by applying it retrospectively to the ITC event. The new guidance values are 6–30 times lower than those derived by the Texas regulatory agency. Fixed‐site monitoring data, assessed using the protocol and revised thresholds, indicated that eight shelter‐in‐place and 17 air‐quality alerts may have been considered. At least one of these shelter‐in‐place alerts corresponded to prolonged, elevated benzene concentrations (~1000 ppb). This new tool addresses essential gaps in the timely communication of air pollution measurements, provides context to understand potential health risks from exposure to benzene, and provides a clear protocol for local officials in responding to industrial air releases of benzene. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:533–546. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: We present a newly developed tool to communicate real‐time air pollution measurements and risk during an industrial emergency event.Acute risk guidance values are based on updated literature for benzene and are 6–30 times lower than those derived by the Texas regulatory agency.The platform displays ambient benzene levels, risk information, and action recommendations for the public.The action recommendation includes suggested protocol for emergency response to air releases of benzene, given on‐the‐ground information gathered during the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In contrast to studies that relied on volunteers or convenience sampling, there are few population-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence investigations and most were conducted early in the pandemic. The health department of the fourth largest US city recognized that sound estimates of viral impact were needed to inform decision making.Methods: Adapting standardized disaster research methodology, in September 2020 the city was divided into high and low strata based on reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity rates; census block groups within each stratum were randomly selected with probability proportional to size, followed by random selection of households within each group. Using 2 immunoassays, the proportion of infected individuals was estimated for the city, by positivity rate and sociodemographic and other characteristics. The degree of underascertainment of seroprevalence was estimated based on RT-PCR-positive cases.Results: Seroprevalence was estimated to be 14% with near 2-fold difference in areas with high (18%) versus low (10%) RT-PCR positivity rates and was 4 times higher compared to case-based surveillance data.Conclusions: Seroprevalence was higher than previously reported and greater than estimated from RT-PCR data. Results will be used to inform public health decisions about testing, outreach, and vaccine rollout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal recycling industry provides jobs, generates revenue in local communities and conserves energy and resources. Nonetheless, possible negative impacts of metal recyclers (MRs) include the potential for emissions of metal aerosols and other dusts, noise, traffic and fire during operations. In Houston, Texas, there were more than 180 resident complaints about air quality related to MRs from 2006 to 2011 that were reported to the city's 311 call system. As a part of a community-based participatory research study, Metal Air Pollution Partnership Solutions (MAPPS), we evaluated the impact of metal emissions from MRs on air quality over two years in four environmental justice communities. We simultaneously collected samples of inhalable particles (aerodynamic particle size less than 10 µm, PM10) using a sampling strategy to capture emissions from the MRs while they were in operation at four locations within each community: an upwind location, the fence line of MR and two downwind locations and analyzed the samples for 10 metals. The highest values of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) were detected at the fence lines of MRs. The normalized ratios of these metals at near and far neighborhood locations were 0.01 to 0.64 and 0.01 to 0.34, respectively, as compared with the metals at the fence line. The concentrations of metals rapidly decreased by 57–70% within 100 meters and reached similar levels at upwind (background) locations at approximately 600 meters. After adjusting the measured data for wind direction, rain and operating hours, we calculated non-carcinogenic hazard index values and carcinogenic risks for adult residents from breathing metals emitted from the facilities. Estimated inhalation cancer risks ranged from 0.12 case to 24 cases in 1 million people and the hazard index values ranged from 0.04 to 11. Implications: In Houston, Texas, residents complained about air quality related to metal recyclers from 2006 to 2011. Using a community-based participatory research method, metal emissions were characterized at four environmental justice communities. The results indicate that metal concentrations were the highest at the fence line and decreased by 57–70% within 100 meters and reached similar levels of background at 600 meters. After adjusting the measured data for meteorological parameters and operating hours, estimated inhalation cancer risks ranged from 0.12 cases to 24 cases in 1 million people and hazard index values ranged from 0.04 to 11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: From 2006 to 2011, the City of Houston received nearly 200 community complaints about air pollution coming from some metal recycling facilities. The investigation by the Houston Health Department (HHD) found that while operating within legal limits, emissions from facilities that use torch cutting, a technique generating metal aerosols, may increase health risks for neighboring residents. Choosing to use collaborative problem solving over legislative rulemaking, HHD reached out to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) to further evaluate and develop plans to mitigate, if necessary, health risks associated with metal emissions from these facilities.Methods: Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, we constituted a research team from academia, HHD and an air quality advocacy group and a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to draw diverse stakeholders (i.e., frustrated and concerned residents and wary facility managers acting within their legal rights) into an equitable, trusting and respectful space to work together. Next, we investigated metal air pollution and inhalation health risks of adults living near metal recyclers and ascertained community views about environmental health using key informant interviews, focus groups and surveys. Finally, working collaboratively with the CAB, we developed neighborhood-specific public health action plans to address research findings.Results: After overcoming challenges, the CAB evolved into an effective partnership with greater trust, goodwill, representation and power among members. Working together to translate and share health risk assessment results increased accessibility of the information. These results, coupled to community survey findings, set the groundwork for developing and implementing a stakeholder-informed action plan, which included a voluntary framework to reduce metal emissions in the scrap yard, improved lines of communication and environmental health leadership training. Tangible outcomes of enhanced capacity of our community and governmental partners included trained residents to conduct door-to-door surveys, adaptation of our field training protocol and survey by our community partner and development of a successful HHD program to engage residents to improve environmental health in their neighborhood.Conclusions: Academic-government-community-industry partnerships can reduce environmental health disparities in underserved neighborhoods near industrial facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]