Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Final Progress Reports: Duke University: Outreach Core

Superfund Research Program

Outreach Core

Project Leader: Marie Lynn Miranda
Grant Number: P42ES010356
Funding Period: 2000 - 2005

Project-Specific Links

Connect with the Grant Recipients

Visit the grantee's eNewsletter page Visit the grantee's eNewsletter page Visit the grantee's Twitter page Visit the grantee's Instagram page Visit the grantee's Facebook page Visit the grantee's Video page

Final Progress Reports

Year:   2004 

The Outreach Core has continued to provide tax parcel unit risk maps to local community groups.  Partners are collaborating to improve environmental health in low-income housing throughout Durham County, with a particular emphasis on Central Durham.  They have developed specialized maps used by Durham Community Partners Against Lead (CPAL) to target outreach and education with the goal of increasing blood lead screening among high-risk children and targeting homes for renovation and repair.  Outreach Core members participated in the planning and implementation of 6 outreach events in Central Durham neighborhoods.  Through these efforts, 274 units have been sampled for lead hazards.

Outreach Core staff have also been active in disseminating and expanding the tax parcel level unit lead priority risk models.  Presentations of the lead model were given to the Durham City Council and the Guilford County Environmental Health Department.  A poster size map showing lead poisoning prevention target areas in the City of Durham was prepared for the Durham County Department of Housing and Community Development.  The Outreach Core is also working with Guilford and Forsyth Counties to develop tax parcel level lead priority risk models as well as other related datasets and maps based on the individual concerns of health officials in these counties.

From January to August of 2004 the Outreach Core partnered with the North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance Project (NCRCAP) to conduct indoor air quality and pesticide sampling in low income Latino homes in Chatham County.  Outreach Core field technicians visited individual homes of Latino residents with NCRCAP staff to provide testing and educational materials for in-home environmental health and safety. A comprehensive Spanish-language report was provided to each participant at no cost.  A total of 33 homes were tested as a result of this partnership. 

Outreach Core members continue to develop methods for GIS-based dispersion modeling of air toxics releases.  Growing concern about the health effects of mercury exposure through fish consumption has resulted in the recent proposal of several federal and state policy initiatives addressing mercury emissions from electric utilities.  Using GIS and CALPUFF dispersion modeling, Outreach Core members characterized mercury levels in North Carolina across multiple policy options.  Spatial distribution of mercury ambient air concentrations and deposition rates were modeled based on emissions estimates under the Clean Air Act, Clear Skies Initiative, and North Carolina Clean Smokestacks Act.  Outreach Core staff are working with the State of North Carolina and various community-based and environmental groups to improve understanding of the differences across the different policy options.

Back
to Top