Clean Air and Healthy Communities

MAPPS: Metal AirPollution Partnership

Solutions

2018 MAPPS REPORT Magnolia Park near Spectrum/EMR

Clean Air and Healthy Communities

MAPPS is a research-to-action project, with multiplepartners, to find ways to improve environmental

health in your community.  

Many factors impact health such aschemicals in the air, water and soil. These chemicals include metals thatcome from traffic emissions andindustries like scrap metal recyclers.  

In response to 311 complaints aboutvarious metal recyclers, we launchedthe MAPPS project to learn moreabout possible health impacts due tometal air pollution from metalrecyclers in Houston communities. 

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Smoking

Food and Alcohol

Bacteria and Viruses

Exercise

Genes Your

Health

Stress

Metal air pollution fromSpectrum/EMR

Chemicals in the

environment

OUR GOALS

We are working together to improve the airquality and health of Houston communities nearmetal recycling facilities by:

We measured metals in theair at three samplinglocations.

We conducted a door-to-door survey to learn moreabout residents' views onindustries and air quality. 

minimizing metal air pollution from metalrecycling facilities

1

developing partnerships betweenresidents and metal recyclers

3

OUR WORK IN YOUR COMMUNITY

We used our risk assessmentand survey findings todevelop a plan of action.

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increasing community awareness aboutenvironmental health

2

            Spectrum/EMR            The area where we conducted the                 door-to-door survey

 

The map shows our air samplinglocations and survey area

Three sampling locations:             Closest to Spectrum/EMR 

            770 ft. away from Spectrum/EMR              1710 ft. away from Spectrum/EMR 

We used the metalair measurements to estimatethe increased lifetime risk forcancer and other diseases.

We are working with metalrecyclers and residents to improve environmentalhealth in your community.

neighborhood-specific map tobe added

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1.  The purpose of our risk assessment was to provide a basis for developingan action plan to improve community health.

2.  We estimated the increased risk for cancer and other diseases over a 70-yearlifetime from breathing metals in the air from Spectrum/EMR for 30 years.

3.  We assumed that metal emissions from Spectrum/EMR will stay the sameover 30 years.

4.  Our assessment did not consider other sources of metals in the air or otherways to come in contact with metals.

6.  The results cannot be used to say that a person’s illness was caused by  breathing metal air pollution in the past or that breathing metal air pollution   

 now will cause an illness in the future.

5.   Although not evaluated in our study, the health risks are likely to be greaterfor children, pregnant women, the elderly and the sick.

MAPPS RISK ASSESSMENT

Estimated Risks for Diseases other than Cancer

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What are our key findings?

The HI for developing  nasal irritation and upperrespiratory distress ranged from 0.2 to 0.3.  

The Hazard Index (HI) was highest at the locationclosest to Spectrum/EMR and decreased withdistance away from the facility.  

The HI for developing bronchitis, lung inflammationand difficulty breathing ranged from 0.2  to 0.3.  

What diseases may be a concern?

People who breathe toxic metals in theair can develop diseases in their skin,nose/sinuses and lungs such as skinirritation, nasal irritation, bronchitisand lung inflammation.

How does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission onEnvironmental Quality (TCEQ) interpret a Hazard Index (HI) in their regulatory programs?

The risks for diseases other than cancer woulddecrease if metal air pollution decreases; the riskswould increase if metal air pollution increases.

What is Hazard Index (HI)?

The risk of developing other diseases ispresented as a Hazard Index (HI) byorgan in the human body such as nose/sinuses and lungs.   

Increasing risk for diseases other than cancer

 Estimated Risks for Cancer 

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Cancer risk is presented in terms of the number of extra cancercases out of 1 million people that may occur due to pollution.

1 cancer case in 1 million means that if 1 million people werebreathing air pollution for 30 years at a specific level, theremay be 1 additional person who gets cancer over a 70-yearlifetime. 

 What is cancer risk?

What are our key findings?

Cancer risks were less than 1 case in 1million people.

Chances of developing cancer were highestat the location closest to Spectrum/EMR and decreased with distance away from thefacility.  

The risks for cancer would decrease if metalair pollution decreases; the risks wouldincrease if metal air pollution increases.

Increasing lifetime risk for cancer 

How does the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and the Texas Commissionon Environmental Quality (TCEQ)interpret levels of cancer risk in theirregulatory programs?

SURVEY RESULTS

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85 residents completed the survey. 67% lived in the neighborhood

for over 5 years. 54% were female, 46% were male.

86% were Hispanic, 1% were Black.

Who answered our questions?

49% of participantssaid that they knowabout Spectrum

The top four concerns of having metalrecyclers in my neighborhood are:

People who had a problem with air quality,did not report it because:

Do I have similar concerns about otherindustries?  

61%

 NO

60%

45%

35%

Okay

I think the air quality in my neighborhood is:

47%

31%

Poor air quality Damage to roads

Potential health impacts Traffic to and from Spectrum

22%

To improve air quality and health in myneighborhood:

I want to know   about

I want tocommunicate

more with

metal recyclers andother industries(82%)

local government(82%)

air pollution andrelated healtheffects (91%)

how and where toreport air qualityproblems (86%)

The top four benefits of having metalrecyclers in my neighborhood are that they:

Buy scrap metal Keep the neighborhood clean

Provide jobs Bring customers to businesses

23%

YES

82% 73%

57% 48%

48%

61%

61%

64%

Poor/VeryPoor

They did notknow how to

report

Good/VeryGood

Theythoughtnothingwould

change

They wereafraid ofcausing

problems forthemselves/their family 

Minimizing metal emissionsfrom metal recycling

facilities.

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Improving neighborhoodcapacity to address possible

environmental health concerns.

WHAT WE ARE DOING BASED ON OUR FINDINGS

Provide information on how tocommunicate environmental healthconcerns to Spectrum/EMR andHouston's 311 Call system.

Hold community forum tointroduce MAPPS partners andinform the community about thefindings and action plan. 

Support trainee-initiated outreachactivities in the neighborhood.

Provide training to residents tobecome environmental healthleaders in your neighborhood.

Improving communicationand collaboration 

between MAPPSpartners and residents.

Track complaints. 

Enhanced a communication processfor interacting directly withresidents for questions, commentsor concerns they may have.

Participate in existing communityevents.

Spectrum/EMR has voluntarilyand collaboratively:

Learn how to contact

Spectrum/EMR or 311 aboutenvironmental concerns

Attend MAPPS environmentalhealth leadership training

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Contact us with questions

Invite MAPPS partners toneighborhood meetings

Elaine Symanski, PhD, PI 713.500.9238

https://go.uth.edu/MAPPS

MAPPS@uth.tmc.edu

GET IN TOUCH WITH US

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The MAPPS project is funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), grant no. 5R01ES023563.

The UTHealth CPHS has reviewed and approved.  October 2018.