ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH VULNERABILITIES AND RESILIENCIES: GARDENS AS HUBS FOR JUSTICE AND LITERACY EFFORTS (Invited Presentation)

Community revitalization, climate change adaptations, and public health efforts may be diminished if gardens are located in environmentally compromised spaces Families living near active and legacy extraction sites may be disproportionately exposed to metal(loid)s via ingestion and dust inhalation, thus, increasing their exposure when consuming local produce, engaging in gardening, and/or outdoor activities. In collaboration with community members, Gardenroots: A Citizen Science Garden Project (https://gardenroots.arizona.edu/) assesses potential metal(loid) exposures via homegrown produce, water, incidental soil ingestion, and dust inhalation and the risks posed. This session will highlight the public participatory approach used, selected environmental monitoring and exposure assessment results, and data sharing strategies. Traditionally, this level of community engagement and site-specific assessment does not occur. The results of Gardenroots can inform community practices, exposure assessments, and environmental public health intervention and prevention strategies, thus increase environmental health literacy.