Communicating Arsenic’s Risks

Abstract

Arsenic is a naturally occurring toxic metalloid that has many human health implications. Its strong prevalence in the bedrock and thus much of the well water in New England puts many private well owners at risk. It is also found in food products, particularly those that contain rice. Despite the documented health risks, arsenic is not high on the list of concerns for residents of the region. This study will describe two types of environmental communication efforts that have been undertaken by the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program (DTMSRP)—the development and evaluation of a comprehensive website, Arsenic and You, and a mental models research approach to better understand the disconnect between expert and community perceptions of arsenic risk. We find that there are knowledge gaps between the two, particularly regarding the origin of arsenic in drinking water and food, the necessity of testing well water, and the process for treating water that is above recommended limits. Moreover, the mental models approach provides a structured framework for better understanding these gaps. A website can address some of these disconnects, and it is important to have a “one-stop shop” for vetted information on the risks and steps to reduce exposure.

Themes Across New Directions in Community Engagement

“…Finally, the four remaining papers present research conducted by different SRP CECs. First, Rogers et al [4] describe the creation of a website for sharing information on arsenic risks. The authors consulted with experts to develop a model of arsenic exposure, used this model in the creation of a comprehensive website about arsenic, and compared the expert model to community understanding of arsenic risk.…”

“…Indeed, even though this special issue of IJERPH highlights only a sample of the community engagement efforts taking place at CECs around the U.S., the task of identifying common themes across the articles was still challenging. Based on the work presented here, community engagement may include the study of the communication process in communities [38], the study of other social issues affecting a community [37], the practice of communicating with community members [4], the process of engaging with institutional stakeholders in a community [36], and reflection on the community engagement process itself [5].…”

“…Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all strategy for community engagement, CEC teams have needed to adapt to the local context and needs of the community in which they are working to be successful [36]. In some communities, a wide range of hazards are the focus [5], whereas others may be impacted mainly by a single chemical or group of chemicals [4,37,38]. Some communities may need technical assistance [10] or help in understanding expert perspectives on a risk [4], whereas others may already have heard a lot about the risk [36] or include experts who are well versed in the hazards the community is facing [5].…”

“…In some communities, a wide range of hazards are the focus [5], whereas others may be impacted mainly by a single chemical or group of chemicals [4,37,38]. Some communities may need technical assistance [10] or help in understanding expert perspectives on a risk [4], whereas others may already have heard a lot about the risk [36] or include experts who are well versed in the hazards the community is facing [5]. And although many communities are likely to be frustrated and angry with the parties responsible for contamination [5,28], others may be defensive or see remediation efforts as an unnecessary imposition [36].…”

“…4) through the process of community engagement, which the SRP defines as “bidirectional interaction and communication between community stakeholders and its Centers” [3] (p. 2). As will be discussed in greater detail later in this paper, CEC activities vary widely, ranging from relatively low-engagement activities such as outreach and consultation [4,5] to high-engagement activities such as community-based participatory research [6].…”