The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded over $500k to Professor Cesunica Ivey, Principal Investigator of the Air Quality Modeling and Exposure Lab, to support better communication of wildfire smoke exposure threats to at-risk groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. The ultimate goal is to improve public health by developing a community-aligned action plan for wildfire smoke exposure prevention, and to identify drivers of the disconnect that exists between scientists and communities regarding exposure and health risk communication.
"The project was designed with the public in mind. I'd like to better understand how scientists can improve our participation in smoke exposure risk communication by prioritizing concerns of the Bay Area's most vulnerable population. [...] I look forward to learning more from communities about their concerns around messaging and interventions surrounding smoke exposure mitigation," said Ivey.
Ivey will engage members of underserved communities by identifying the most effective data sources and dissemination strategies for communicating wildfire smoke exposure risks. She aims to elevate their concerns regarding wildfire smoke and air pollution exposure risks and communication styles, and identify solutions that eliminate disparities.
This grant is one of the eleven research projects receiving EPA STAR funding to address interventions to reduce exposure to and health risks of wildland fire smoke.