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Paltseva AA. Participatory science in urban soil research: A framework for overcoming challenges and expanding public engagement. iScience 2025; 28:112361. [PMID: 40292309 PMCID: PMC12032906 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Urban soils play a crucial role in supporting city sustainability, including green infrastructure, food production, water regulation, and climate resilience. Yet their complexity, compounded by environmental risks, pose challenges for research and policy. This article presents a participatory science framework that engages communities in soil monitoring and management through co-designed projects, educational outreach, and simplified data collection protocols. By integrating digital tools and real-time mapping, the framework enhances data accuracy while fostering environmental stewardship. Grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration, the framework connects scientific research, technological support, community engagement, and policy advocacy to improve urban soil health. Demonstrated through case studies and practical strategies, this approach builds capacity for sustained community involvement and equitable environmental decision-making. The broader significance lies in the framework's ability to foster reciprocal relationships between scientists and communities, where shared knowledge, action, and responsibility strengthen urban soil stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Paltseva
- Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Walls D, Rodríguez-Oroz D, Root RA, Chukwuonye GN, Alqattan ZA, Kinchy A, Ureta S, Engel-Di Mauro S, Ramírez-Andreotta MD. Low-cost screening method for estimating inorganic arsenic in soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2025; 32:6027-6040. [PMID: 39969710 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-025-36086-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025]
Abstract
People facing pollution do not always have the resources needed to investigate their environment for harmful contaminants. In this paper, we report on a low-cost, accessible method to screen soil for inorganic arsenic, a substance associated with a growing list of acute and chronic diseases. The method adapts a commercial water test kit, which measures inorganic arsenic between 0 and 500 µg L-1 on a quantitative, discrete color scale. We evaluated two extraction solutions in determining bioaccessible and total inorganic arsenic. We characterized soil samples and standards containing total arsenic between 0.8 and 3240 mg kg-1 (n = 151) with the screening methodology and established laboratory methods. While the total screening method requires additional investigation, we propose the bioaccessible screening method for two purposes. First, it estimates in vitro bioaccessible assay (IVBA) arsenic ( y = 0.0972 x ,R 2 = 0.576 ) to provide physiological insight. Second, it estimates a predicted minimum amount of total arsenic to compare to regulatory soil levels. Screening measurements above 82.5 and 132.0 µg L-1 are predicted to exceed the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (AZDEQ) and New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) regulatory soil levels: 10 and 16 mg kg-1, respectively. False positives are almost entirely avoided, while the occurrence of false negatives increases approaching the predicted thresholds. Screening measurements in the ranges [0, 10), [10, 25), and [25, threshold] µg L-1 were false negatives (false omission rate) 0, 18.8, and 81.4% (AZDEQ) and 0, 8.7, and 68.5% (NYDEC) of the time, respectively. Our analysis supports screening total arsenic to at least as low as 8.5 mg kg-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Walls
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Bureau of Laboratory Services, Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Delia Rodríguez-Oroz
- Centro de Investigación en Tecnologías Para La Sociedad, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Robert A Root
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Abby Kinchy
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Sebastián Ureta
- College & Instituto Para El Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Solar Energy Research Center, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Mónica D Ramírez-Andreotta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Division of Community, Environment & Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Moses A, Ramírez-Andreotta MD, McLain JET, Obergh V, Rutin E, Sandhaus S, Kilungo AP. The efficacy of hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) tests for detecting microbial contamination in rooftop-harvested rainwater. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1398. [PMID: 37910273 PMCID: PMC10620290 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11942-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
As climate change strains the world's freshwater resources, access to safe and clean water becomes limited. The use of alternative water sources, such as rooftop-harvested rainwater, has become one mechanism to address freshwater scarcity in the American Southwest, particularly when it comes to home gardening. The University of Arizona's Project Harvest, in partnership with the Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., is a multi-year, co-created citizen science project aimed at increasing current understanding of harvested rainwater quality. Citizens in four Arizona, USA, communities (Hayden/Winkelman, Globe/Miami, Dewey-Humboldt, and Tucson) submitted harvested rainwater samples over 3 years. The harvested rainwater samples were then analyzed using IDEXX Colilert® for total coliforms and E. coli and using Hach PathoScreen™ test for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). This study design allows for the validation of a low-cost, at-home alternative methodology for testing rainwater for bacteria that may indicate fecal contamination. In total, 226 samples were tested using both methodologies, revealing a positive correlation (r=0.245; p<0.002) between total coliform MPN and SRB MPN, but no discernable correlation between E. coli MPN and SRB MPN. This work indicates a potential value of SRB testing for harvested rainwater if cost, laboratory access, and fecal contamination are of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Moses
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Mónica D Ramírez-Andreotta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Department of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jean E T McLain
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Arizona, 350 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Victoria Obergh
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Emma Rutin
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Department of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Shana Sandhaus
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Aminata P Kilungo
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Department of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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Palawat K, Root RA, Cruz LI, Foley T, Carella V, Beck C, Ramírez-Andreotta M. Dissolved arsenic and lead concentrations in rooftop harvested rainwater: Community generated dataset. Data Brief 2023; 48:109255. [PMID: 37383743 PMCID: PMC10293945 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we detail arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) concentrations in community science generated rooftop harvested rainwater data from Project Harvest (PH), a co-created community science study, and National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) National Trends Network wet-deposition AZ samples as analyzed by Palawat et al. [1]. 577 field samples were collected in PH and 78 field samples were collected by NADP. All samples were analyzed via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for dissolved metal(loid)s including As and Pb by the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants after 0.45 um filtration and acidification. Method limits of detection (MLOD) were assessed and sample concentrations above MLODs were considered detects. Summary statistics and box and whisker plots were generated to assess variables of interest such as community and sampling window. Finally, As and Pb data is provided for potential reuse; the data can be used to assess contamination of harvested rainwater in AZ and to inform community use of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunal Palawat
- University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Environmental Science, 1177 E Fourth Street, Rm. 429, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Robert A. Root
- University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Environmental Science, 1177 E Fourth Street, Rm. 429, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Luz Imelda Cruz
- Sonora Environmental Research Institute Inc., 3202 E Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Theresa Foley
- Sonora Environmental Research Institute Inc., 3202 E Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Victoria Carella
- Resident of Globe, AZ, USA
- Mother Eagle Shamanic Center, Globe, AZ, USA
| | - Charles Beck
- Resident of Globe, AZ, USA
- Space Mission Earth, Globe, AZ, USA
| | - Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta
- University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Environmental Science, 1177 E Fourth Street, Rm. 429, Tucson, AZ, USA
- University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, 1295 N Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Wood GER, Pykett J, Daw P, Agyapong-Badu S, Banchoff A, King AC, Stathi A. The Role of Urban Environments in Promoting Active and Healthy Aging: A Systematic Scoping Review of Citizen Science Approaches. J Urban Health 2022; 99:427-456. [PMID: 35587850 PMCID: PMC9187804 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00622-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Promoting active and healthy aging in urban spaces requires environments with diverse, age-friendly characteristics. This scoping review investigated the associations between urban characteristics and active and healthy aging as identified by citizen science (CS) and other participatory approaches. Using a systematic scoping review procedure, 23 articles employing a CS or participatory approach (participant age range: 54-98 years) were reviewed. An inductive and deductive thematic analysis was completed to (a) identify local urban barriers and facilitators and (b) map them against the World Health Organization (WHO) Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities. A new Citizen Science Appraisal Tool (CSAT) was developed to evaluate the quality of CS and other participatory approaches included in the reviewed articles. A range of interconnected urban barriers and facilitators was generated by residents across the personal (e.g. perceived safety), environmental (e.g. unmaintained infrastructure), socio-cultural (e.g. cross-cultural activities), economic (e.g. affordable housing) and political (e.g. governmental support to migrant communities) domains. Mapping the barriers and facilitators to the WHO age-friendly checklist underscored the checklist's relevance and elucidated the need to explore barriers for migrant and cross-cultural communities and neighborhood development and alterations. The CSAT demonstrated strengths related to active engagement of residents and study outcomes leading to real-world implications. To advance the potential of CS to enrich our understanding of age-friendly environments, employing co-production to enhance relevance and sustainability of outcomes is an important strategy. Overall, employing CS highlighted the value of systematically capturing the experiences of older adults within studies aimed at promoting active and healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- G E R Wood
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - J Pykett
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - P Daw
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - S Agyapong-Badu
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - A Banchoff
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - A C King
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - A Stathi
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Towards the Development of a Sensor Educational Toolkit to Support Community and Citizen Science. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22072543. [PMID: 35408158 PMCID: PMC9003123 DOI: 10.3390/s22072543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
As air quality sensors increasingly become commercially available, a deeper consideration of their usability and usefulness is needed to ensure effective application by the public. Much of the research related to sensors has focused on data quality and potential applications. While this information is important, a greater understanding of users’ experience with sensors would provide complementary information. Under a U.S. EPA-funded Science to Achieve Results grant awarded to the South Coast Air Quality Management District in California, titled “Engage, Educate, and Empower California Communities on the Use and Applications of Low-Cost Air Monitoring Sensors”, approximately 400 air quality sensors were deployed with 14 California communities. These communities received sensors and training, and they participated in workshops. Widely varying levels of sensor installation and engagement were observed across the 14 communities. However, despite differences between communities (in terms of participation, demographics, and socioeconomic factors), many participants offered similar feedback on the barriers to sensor use and strategies leading to successful sensor use. Here, we assess sensor use and participant feedback, as well as discuss the development of an educational toolkit titled “Community in Action: A Comprehensive Toolkit on Air Quality Sensors”. This toolkit can be leveraged by future community and citizen science projects to develop networks designed to collect air quality information that can help reduce exposure to and the emissions of pollutants, leading to improved environmental and public health.
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Heusinkveld D, Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Rodríguez-Chávez T, Sáez AE, Betterton E, Rine K. Assessing Children's Lead Exposure in an Active Mining Community Using the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model. EXPOSURE AND HEALTH 2021; 13:517-533. [PMID: 34532608 PMCID: PMC8439183 DOI: 10.1007/s12403-021-00400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Lead exposure has been shown to be harmful to humans in various settings and there are no safe levels of blood lead in children. At an Alternative Superfund site in Hayden-Winkelman, Arizona, with an active copper smelter and concentrator, lead exceedances in air and soil have been measured in the past 20 years. In this work, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) model was used to estimate Hayden-Winkelman children's (age 6 months-7 years) blood lead levels (BLLs) using site-specific lead concentrations measured in indoor and outdoor air, soil, indoor dust, and drinking water. Values used by a state agency's airborne lead risk forecast program were also evaluated to determine whether their forecasting program is useful in protecting children's public health. Using site-specific values in the model, the results demonstrated that lead ingested via indoor dust was the major contributor to children's BLLs. In addition, the output of the IEUBK model overestimated actual BLLs of children sampled in the community. The IEUBK model was particularly sensitive to high indoor dust levels, and these site-specific measures increased modeled BLL values. This finding is of significance as the IEUBK model is used worldwide in communities with industrial contamination. This study confirmed that the chief contributor to lead exposure in children is household dust. Thus, for lead exposure risk reduction, agencies working at Superfund sites should focus efforts on decontaminating outdoor soil and dust and indoor lead decontamination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mónica D. Ramirez-Andreotta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health’s Division of Community, Environment & Policy, University of Arizona
- Corresponding Author: Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, M.P.A, Ph.D., 1177 E Fourth Street, Rm. 429, Tucson, AZ 85721, Phone: 520-621-0091; Fax: 520-621-1647,
| | | | - A. Eduardo Sáez
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona
| | - Eric Betterton
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona
| | - Kyle Rine
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona
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Moczek N, Nuss M, Köhler JK. Volunteering in the Citizen Science Project "Insects of Saxony"-The Larger the Island of Knowledge, the Longer the Bank of Questions. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12030262. [PMID: 33804789 PMCID: PMC8003976 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In a cross-sectional survey study (N = 116), volunteers of the project Insects of Saxony were asked about their current and past volunteering activities, their motivations, their rating of organisational offers, their knowledge, their satisfaction with the project and their personal contribution, and their intended future involvement. Participants in the study were mostly male, well-educated, over 50 years old, and had been volunteering in biodiversity projects for a long time. They were driven by both pro-social (altruistic) and self-serving (egoistic) motivations, but rated the pro-social functions as more important for their engagement. Communication and feedback were rated the most important organisational offers. Participants also reported a knowledge increase during project participation. While the volunteers were satisfied with the overall project, they were significantly less content with their own contribution. Results from the survey were followed up with a group discussion (N = 60). The anecdotes revealed the participants' regret of not having more time for their hobby, and they emphasised the challenges that arise from the different scientific approaches of the various disciplines. Most participants indicated that they want to continue their volunteering. Implications for measuring motivations in citizen science projects and for volunteer management are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Moczek
- PSY: PLAN Institute for Architectural and Environmental Psychology, 10245 Berlin, Germany
- Museum für Naturkunde, Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Matthias Nuss
- Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Museum of Zoology, Lepitoptera Section, 01109 Dresden, Germany;
| | - Jana Katharina Köhler
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria;
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Toward Environmental Justice in Civic Science: Youth Performance and Experience Measuring Air Pollution Using Moss as a Bio-Indicator in Industrial-Adjacent Neighborhoods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197278. [PMID: 33027991 PMCID: PMC7579114 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This article reports on an interdisciplinary evaluation of the pilot phase of a community-driven civic science project. The project investigates the distribution of heavy metals in air pollution using moss growing on street trees as a bio-indicator in two industrial-adjacent neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington (USA). One goal of the ongoing project is to meaningfully engage local urban youths (eighth to twelfth grade) in the scientific process as civic scientists, and teach them about environmental health, environmental justice, and urban forestry concepts in a place-based, urban-oriented environmental research project. We describe the collaborative context in which our project developed, evaluate the quality of youth-collected data through analysis of replicate samples, and assess participants’ learning, career interests, and overall appraisal of the pilot. Our results indicate that youth scientists collected usable samples (with acceptable precision among repeated samples), learned project content (with statistically significant increases in scores of test-style survey questions; p = 0.002), and appraised their engagement favorably (with 69% of participants reporting they liked the project). We observed few changes in career interests, however. We discuss our intention to use these preliminary insights to further our community-driven education, research, and action model to address environmental injustices.
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Understanding citizens’ action for nature: The profile, motivations and experiences of Dutch nature volunteers. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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