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Parker M, Ybarra-Vega MJ, Postma J. Agricultural Worker Perspectives on Climate Hazards and Risk Reduction Strategies. J Agromedicine 2024; 29:333-343. [PMID: 38153099 DOI: 10.1080/1059924x.2023.2299378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of agricultural workers during periods of heat and wildfire smoke exposure and to support the development and implementation of protective workplace interventions. METHODS Using community-engaged research and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) framework for policy evaluation, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted with current and former agricultural workers in Central Washington (WA). Twelve participants answered semi-structured questions via interviews or by attending a focus group. Interviews and focus groups were conducted in Spanish, recorded, transcribed, and translated into English; one interview was conducted in English. RESULTS Using Braun and Clarke's Reflexive Thematic Analysis, five themes were identified among workers from various worksites: 1) Extreme weather and working conditions are becoming increasingly hazardous to worker health, 2) Employers and supervisors lack training and education on current labor laws, and health and safety rules, 3) Employers and supervisors use intimidation and retaliation to ensure productivity and to evoke feelings of replaceability among workers, 4) Workers do not trust regulatory agencies to enforce rules or hold employers accountable, 5) Solutions to climate-driven problems in the agricultural industry need to value worker health and safety, not just productivity. Participants reported experiencing adverse health symptoms related to heat and smoke exposure at work. Workers proposed solutions including improving education, training, and communication, and increased enforcement of existing and forthcoming occupational health and safety rules. CONCLUSION The agricultural workforce is essential for ensuring a robust food supply and is facing extreme weather events due to climate change. Western states impacted by wildfires and heat are working to develop and implement occupational health and safety rules. Developing effective policies and interventions inclusive of worker perspectives is critical to adapt to a changing climate, retain a stable workforce and promote optimal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Parker
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, USA
| | - Mary Jo Ybarra-Vega
- Outreach & Behavioral Health, Moses Lake Community Health Center, Moses Lake, WA, USA
| | - Julie Postma
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, USA
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Coker ES, Stone SL, McTigue E, Yao JA, Brigham EP, Schwandt M, Henderson SB. Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1324662. [PMID: 38590812 PMCID: PMC10999651 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
With the growing climate change crisis, public health agencies and practitioners must increasingly develop guidance documents addressing the public health risks and protective measures associated with multi-hazard events. Our Policy and Practice Review aims to assess current public health guidance and related messaging about co-exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat and recommend strengthened messaging to better protect people from these climate-sensitive hazards. We reviewed public health messaging published by governmental agencies between January 2013 and May 2023 in Canada and the United States. Publicly available resources were eligible if they discussed the co-occurrence of wildfire smoke and extreme heat and mentioned personal interventions (protective measures) to prevent exposure to either hazard. We reviewed local, regional, and national governmental agency messaging resources, such as online fact sheets and guidance documents. We assessed these resources according to four public health messaging themes, including (1) discussions around vulnerable groups and risk factors, (2) symptoms associated with these exposures, (3) health risks of each exposure individually, and (4) health risks from combined exposure. Additionally, we conducted a detailed assessment of current messaging about measures to mitigate exposure. We found 15 online public-facing resources that provided health messaging about co-exposure; however, only one discussed all four themes. We identified 21 distinct protective measures mentioned across the 15 resources. There is considerable variability and inconsistency regarding the types and level of detail across described protective measures. Of the identified 21 protective measures, nine may protect against both hazards simultaneously, suggesting opportunities to emphasize these particular messages to address both hazards together. More precise, complete, and coordinated public health messaging would protect against climate-sensitive health outcomes attributable to wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Coker
- Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Susan Lyon Stone
- Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Erin McTigue
- Air and Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jiayun Angela Yao
- Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Emily P. Brigham
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael Schwandt
- Office of the Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah B. Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Kabeshita L, Sloat LL, Fischer EV, Kampf S, Magzamen S, Schultz C, Wilkins MJ, Kinnebrew E, Mueller ND. Pathways framework identifies wildfire impacts on agriculture. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:664-672. [PMID: 37550540 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00803-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires are a growing concern to society and the environment in many parts of the world. Within the United States, the land area burned by wildfires has steadily increased over the past 40 years. Agricultural land management is widely understood as a force that alters fire regimes, but less is known about how wildfires, in turn, impact the agriculture sector. Based on an extensive literature review, we identify three pathways of impact-direct, downwind and downstream-through which wildfires influence agricultural resources (soil, water, air and photosynthetically active radiation), labour (agricultural workers) and products (crops and livestock). Through our pathways framework, we highlight the complexity of wildfire-agriculture interactions and the need for collaborative, systems-oriented research to better quantify the magnitude of wildfire impacts and inform the adaptation of agricultural systems to an increasingly fire-prone future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Kabeshita
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Lindsey L Sloat
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Land and Carbon Lab, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Stephanie Kampf
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Courtney Schultz
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael J Wilkins
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Eva Kinnebrew
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Mueller
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Schollaert C, Austin E, Seto E, Spector J, Waller S, Kasner E. Wildfire Smoke Monitoring for Agricultural Safety and Health in Rural Washington. J Agromedicine 2023; 28:595-608. [PMID: 37210597 PMCID: PMC10395649 DOI: 10.1080/1059924x.2023.2213232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a low-cost smoke sampling platform relative to environmental and occupational exposure monitoring methods in a rural agricultural region in central Washington state. METHODS We co-located the Thingy AQ sampling platform alongside cyclone-based gravimetric samplers, a nephelometer, and an environmental beta attenuation mass (E-BAM) monitor during August and September of 2020. Ambient particulate matter concentrations were collected during a smoke and non-smoke period and measurements were compared across sampling methods. RESULTS We found reasonable agreement between observations from two particle sensors within the Thingy AQ platform and the nephelometer and E-BAM measurements throughout the study period, though the measurement range of the sensors was greater during the smoke period compared to the non-smoke period. Occupational gravimetric sampling methods did not correlate with PM2.5 data collected during smoke periods, likely due to their capture of larger particle sizes than those typically measured by PM2.5 ambient air quality instruments during wildfire events. CONCLUSION Data collected before and during an intense wildfire smoke episode in September 2020 indicated that the low-cost smoke sampling platform provides a strategy to increase access to real-time air quality information in rural areas where regulatory monitoring networks are sparse if sensor performance characteristics under wildfire smoke conditions are understood. Improving access to spatially resolved air quality information could help agricultural employers protect both worker and crop health as wildfire smoke exposure increases due to the impacts of climate change. Such information can also assist employers with meeting new workplace wildfire smoke health and safety rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Schollaert
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | - Edmund Seto
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | - June Spector
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | | | - Edward Kasner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
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Dillis C, Butsic V, Moanga D, Parker‐Shames P, Wartenberg A, Grantham TE. The threat of wildfire is unique to cannabis among agricultural sectors in California. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Dillis
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Van Butsic
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Diana Moanga
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Phoebe Parker‐Shames
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Ariani Wartenberg
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | - Theodore E. Grantham
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
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D’Evelyn SM, Jung J, Alvarado E, Baumgartner J, Caligiuri P, Hagmann RK, Henderson SB, Hessburg PF, Hopkins S, Kasner EJ, Krawchuk MA, Krenz JE, Lydersen JM, Marlier ME, Masuda YJ, Metlen K, Mittelstaedt G, Prichard SJ, Schollaert CL, Smith EB, Stevens JT, Tessum CW, Reeb-Whitaker C, Wilkins JL, Wolff NH, Wood LM, Haugo RD, Spector JT. Wildfire, Smoke Exposure, Human Health, and Environmental Justice Need to be Integrated into Forest Restoration and Management. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:366-385. [PMID: 35524066 PMCID: PMC9076366 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00355-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Increasing wildfire size and severity across the western United States has created an environmental and social crisis that must be approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. Climate change and more than a century of fire exclusion and wildfire suppression have led to contemporary wildfires with more severe environmental impacts and human smoke exposure. Wildfires increase smoke exposure for broad swaths of the US population, though outdoor workers and socially disadvantaged groups with limited adaptive capacity can be disproportionally exposed. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a range of health impacts in children and adults, including exacerbation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worse birth outcomes, and cardiovascular events. Seasonally dry forests in Washington, Oregon, and California can benefit from ecological restoration as a way to adapt forests to climate change and reduce smoke impacts on affected communities. RECENT FINDINGS Each wildfire season, large smoke events, and their adverse impacts on human health receive considerable attention from both the public and policymakers. The severity of recent wildfire seasons has state and federal governments outlining budgets and prioritizing policies to combat the worsening crisis. This surging attention provides an opportunity to outline the actions needed now to advance research and practice on conservation, economic, environmental justice, and public health interests, as well as the trade-offs that must be considered. Scientists, planners, foresters and fire managers, fire safety, air quality, and public health practitioners must collaboratively work together. This article is the result of a series of transdisciplinary conversations to find common ground and subsequently provide a holistic view of how forest and fire management intersect with human health through the impacts of smoke and articulate the need for an integrated approach to both planning and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah M. D’Evelyn
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jihoon Jung
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Ernesto Alvarado
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Dept of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - R. Keala Hagmann
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Applegate Forestry, LLC, Corvallis, USA
| | | | - Paul F. Hessburg
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Wenatchee, WA USA
| | - Sean Hopkins
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, USA
| | - Edward J. Kasner
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Meg A. Krawchuk
- Dept. of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Krenz
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jamie M. Lydersen
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento, USA
| | - Miriam E. Marlier
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | | | - Susan J. Prichard
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Claire L. Schollaert
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - Jens T. Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Christopher W. Tessum
- Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA
| | - Carolyn Reeb-Whitaker
- Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Tumwater, USA
| | - Joseph L. Wilkins
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Interdisciplinary Studies Department, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | | | - Leah M. Wood
- Evan’s School of Public Policy and Governance and The Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - June T. Spector
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
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Zuidema C, Austin E, Cohen MA, Kasner E, Liu L, Busch Isaksen T, Lin KY, Spector J, Seto E. Potential impacts of Washington State's wildfire worker protection rule on construction workers. Ann Work Expo Health 2022; 66:419-432. [PMID: 34935028 PMCID: PMC9030230 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Driven by climate change, wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity across the Western United States. Outdoor workers are being exposed to increasing wildfire-related particulate matter and smoke. Recognizing this emerging risk, Washington adopted an emergency rule and is presently engaged in creating a permanent rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke exposure. While there are growing bodies of literature on the exposure to and health effects of wildfire smoke in the general public and wildland firefighters, there is a gap in knowledge about wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor workers generally and construction workers specifically-a large category of outdoor workers in Washington totaling 200,000 people. Several data sources were linked in this study-including state-collected employment data and national ambient air quality data-to gain insight into the risk of PM2.5 exposure among construction workers and evaluate the impacts of different air quality thresholds that would have triggered a new Washington emergency wildfire smoke rule aimed at protecting workers from high PM2.5 exposure. Results indicate the number of poor air quality days has increased in August and September in recent years. Over the last decade, these months with the greatest potential for particulate matter exposure coincided with an annual peak in construction employment that was typically 9.4-42.7% larger across Washington counties (one county was 75.8%). Lastly, the 'encouraged' threshold of the Washington emergency rule (20.5 μg m-3) would have resulted in 5.5 times more days subject to the wildfire rule on average across all Washington counties compared to its 'required' threshold (55.5 μg m-3), and in 2020, the rule could have created demand for 1.35 million N-95 filtering facepiece respirators among construction workers. These results have important implications for both employers and policy makers as rules are developed. The potential policy implications of wildfire smoke exposure, exposure control strategies, and data gaps that would improve understanding of construction worker exposure to wildfire smoke are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Zuidema
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Martin A Cohen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward Kasner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lilian Liu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tania Busch Isaksen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ken-Yu Lin
- Department of Construction Management, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - June Spector
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edmund Seto
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Liu Y, Austin E, Xiang J, Gould T, Larson T, Seto E. Health Impact Assessment of the 2020 Washington State Wildfire Smoke Episode: Excess Health Burden Attributable to Increased PM 2.5 Exposures and Potential Exposure Reductions. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2020GH000359. [PMID: 33977180 PMCID: PMC8101535 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Major wildfires starting in the summer of 2020 along the west coast of the United States made PM2.5 concentrations in this region rank among the highest in the world. Washington was impacted both by active wildfires in the state and aged wood smoke transported from fires in Oregon and California. This study aims to estimate the magnitude and disproportionate spatial impacts of increased PM2.5 concentrations attributable to these wildfires on population health. Daily PM2.5 concentrations for each county before and during the 2020 Washington wildfire episode (September 7-19) were obtained from regulatory air monitors. Utilizing previously established concentration-response function (CRF) of PM2.5 (CRF of total PM2.5) and odds ratio (OR) of wildfire smoke days (OR of wildfire smoke days) for mortality, we estimated excess mortality attributable to the increased PM2.5 concentrations in Washington. On average, daily PM2.5 concentrations increased 97.1 μg/m3 during the wildfire smoke episode. With CRF of total PM2.5, the 13-day exposure to wildfire smoke was estimated to lead to 92.2 (95% CI: 0.0, 178.7) more all-cause mortality cases; with OR of wildfire smoke days, 38.4 (95% CI: 0.0, 93.3) increased all-cause mortality cases and 15.1 (95% CI: 0.0, 27.9) increased respiratory mortality cases were attributable to the wildfire smoke episode. The potential impact of avoiding elevated PM2.5 exposures during wildfire events significantly reduced the mortality burden. Because wildfire smoke episodes are likely to impact the Pacific Northwest in future years, continued preparedness and mitigations to reduce exposures to wildfire smoke are necessary to avoid excess health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisi Liu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Elena Austin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Jianbang Xiang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Tim Gould
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Tim Larson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Edmund Seto
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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