Project Summary (2025-2030)

Communities living near contaminated waterways and using old school buildings are concerned about the health impacts of airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of Superfund chemicals, on their communities. Moreover, current PCB remediation practices require substantial resources and are highly disruptive, for example, dredging contaminated sediments in waterways or demolishing school buildings. There is a critical need to address community needs for information and effective tools for PCB remediation. The long-term goal of the Community Engagement Core (CEC) is to reduce the overall amount, toxicity, and health effects from airborne PCBs through rigorous scientific research that is co- created with affected communities and that develops innovative prevention and intervention strat

The overall objective is to leverage the Iowa Superfund Research Program (ISRP) and community resources in collaborative research with the Portland Harbor Community Coalition and Vermont school officials that informs remediation decisions in these communities. The team’s rationale is that partnership with communities of place and practice impacted by PCBs strengthens scientific rigor and contributes relevant tools for community action. Their objective will be addressed in three aims:

1) Facilitate community-engaged research between the ISRP, PHCC, and other interested parties in Portland, Oregon to address community concerns about sources and impacts of airborne PCBs;

2) Integrate community and ISRP expertise to support school officials and staff in Vermont in making informed decisions about PCB remediation interventions; and

3) Embed community engagement best practices across the ISRP to mobilize whole-Center involvement with ISRP community partners and increase overall volume of ISRP community engaged research.

The goal of the first aim is to help identify intervention opportunities that most effectively reduce the amount and toxicity of airborne PCBs in the Portland Harbor area. For the second aim, the CEC will lead a Center-wide effort to develop a PCB Decision Support Toolkit to inform targeted material remediation in schools. For the third aim, in collaboration with community partners and all projects and cores, the CEC will provide regular learning opportunities and create and deploy a playbook of best practices for community engagement about airborne PCBs.

This work is innovative because it interweaves community, regulatory, and scientific knowledge about PCBs in a rich social science-environmental health research framework; provides novel evidence-informed decision support for PCB remediation activities to our current partners; and increases the scope and scale of community engaged PCB research. These contributions are significant because robust, effective, efficient, and mutually beneficial community engagement will enhance the quality and relevance of PCB science and evidence-informed tools will inform and catalyze remediation activity. Ultimately, such knowledge and tools have the potential to reduce hazardous PCB exposure and related health consequences.