There are health impact inequities in certain communities from exposure to environmental pollution exacerbated by socioeconomic and psychological stressors, pre-existing health conditions, ethnicity-specific susceptibilities, deteriorating infrastructure, and climate change impacts. The Biden administration has identified Environmental Justice as the highest priority for regulatory programs and federal investment in these communities. With the goal of achieving Environmental Justice, EPA and other federal and state agencies are in the process of developing and using various approaches, methods, and data for Cumulative Impact Assessments to broaden the scope of health risk assessments used to support environmental decisions. ToxStrategies is focused on developing and applying the best science for cumulative impact assessments that support evidence-based interventions for reducing disproportionate impacts. We have experience and capabilities in the following related areas:
Screening Tools
- Federal — e.g., EJScreen, CJEST, EJI
- State — e.g., Cal EnviroScreen, MA Env Justice Maps
Cumulative Impact Assessment
- Identification of vulnerable communities
- Fit-for-purpose design and problem formulation
- Chemical and non-chemical stressor assessment
- Cumulative impact characterization
Epidemiology
- Epidemiological studies of community cohorts exposed to non-chemical stressors
- Comparative studies of health impacts on the general public and vulnerable subpopulations
- Epidemiological studies of community health impacts due to climate change
Toxicology and Epigenetics
- Ethnic and ancestry susceptibilities
- Chemical-specific intraspecies uncertainty factors
- Uncertainty and susceptibility factors
Exposure Assessment
- Unique exposure scenarios and factors
- Personal and local pollutant monitoring
- Psychosocial and socioeconomic effects
- Background and pre-existing exposure and health condition assessment
Allostatic Load Assessment
- Contribution of allostatic load to health impacts
- Comparison of allostatic load between subpopulations
Community Engagement
- Communication of cumulative impacts
- Stakeholder problem formulation and fit-for-purpose coordination
- Citizen science and community data coordination