Urban environmental health challenges such as poor air quality and extreme heat disproportionately affect environmental justice communities, necessitating targeted interventions. Researchers have assessed these exposures through in-situ monitoring, statistical modeling, or a combination of both. However, there remains a need for data collection that better characterizes local-level exposures, including community-engaged approaches to ensure processes and interventions are appropriate and sustainable. This dissertation uses mixed-methods approaches to characterize local-level extreme heat and air pollution exposures in the urban environmental justice communities of Chelsea and East Boston, MA. First, we explored perceptions of air quality and heat, data resources, and barriers to information sharing through analysis of semi-structured interviews with community leaders serving Chelsea and East Boston. We found that community leaders face challenges conveying the risks associated with air pollution and extreme heat: information is often compartmentalized and complex, with difficulties in accessing and interpreting data for their community. Proposed solutions involved bolstering community participation, establishing portals for open data, and utilizing innovative approaches in science communication. Recommendations include enhanced collaborative partnerships across educational, governmental, and healthcare organizations. Next, we focus on air pollution through a pilot study assessing the use of portable air cleaners (PACs) to reduce indoor PM. We found that PACs were effective in reducing particulate matter when in use, though households varied in their use of the cleaners. Higher filtration levels correlated with more substantial PM reductions, though not uniformly across all homes. While this study suggested PAC efficacy, it also suggested the need for further exploration to reducing PAC implementation challenges in the homes. Finally, we describe an assessment of fine-scale ambient temperature variation within the City of Chelsea, MA, focusing on spatial disparities in heat exposure and implications for local climate planning and policy. Leveraging approximately 80 on-the-ground local temperature sensors, we found local sensors were significantly higher than National Weather Service readings. Through regression analyses and spatial mapping, we identified hot spots within Chelsea facing especially high temperatures during hotter weeks and heat waves. Broadly, this dissertation presents novel, local-level analyses on two important urban environmental exposures with a multitude of associated negative health impacts in the EJ communities of Chelsea and East Boston, MA. We provide evidence towards integrating mixed-methods, community-engaged approaches for strong, action-oriented outcomes. / 2026-05-10T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/48743 |
| Date | 11 May 2024 |
| Creators | McIntyre, Alina Marie |
| Contributors | Scammell, Madeleine K., Kinney, Patrick L. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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