Puerto Rico struggles to assess hurricane’s health effects

Reardon, Sara

doi:10.1038/nature.2017.22973

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(2 reference statements)

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“…The prevalent and persistent absence of a reliable source of power resulted in reliance on diesel-powered generators, heightening concern for air quality and the potential human health implications, particularly for those suffering from respiratory disease (Reardon, 2017). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified diesel engine exhaust as a Group 1 carcinogen, based on sufficient evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer.…”

Section: Environmental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Social Services in Puerto Rico Before and After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Themes for Recovery

Chandra¹,

Marsh²,

Madrigano³

et al. 2020

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On September 19 and 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria severely damaged the island of Puerto Rico. Coming just two weeks after Hurricane Irma, the storm significantly damaged local infrastructure and interrupted the provision of services essential to the people of Puerto Rico. In the aftermath, the president signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 (DR-4339) under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). 1 As attention turned from response to long-term recovery, Congress enacted a Supplemental Appropriation Bill authorizing funding for rebuilding efforts. The Act required the governor of Puerto Rico, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Treasury, Department of Energy, and other federal agencies having responsibility under the National Disaster Recovery Framework, to submit within 180 days of enactment of the legislation a report to Congress that describes Puerto Rico's 12-and 24-month economic and disaster recovery plan.The plan was developed in coordination with the Federal Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) established under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), the federal interagency, and key partners from private and nongovernmental entities using an agile process to identify recovery solutions. Under contract with FEMA, the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) provided substantial support in developing the plan by soliciting and integrating inputs from a wide variety of stakeholders, contributing analysis where needed, and drafting the plan. The plan included an overview of damage and needs, courses of action (COAs) to meet those needs, costs of the courses of action, and potential funding mechanisms for those costs.The governor's team finalized the economic and disaster recovery plan for Puerto Rico, and the Governor submitted Puerto Rico's final plan to the U.S. Congress on August 8, 2018. The plan defined priorities, goals, and expected outcomes that address both immediate needs and provide a foundation for longer-term sustainability.The planning effort was organized into 12 sectors (reflecting the National Disaster Recovery Framework). The purpose of this report is to describe the development of plan elements for the health and social services sector via the Health and Social Services (HSS) Sector team, including analytical material that was not included in the recovery plan but informed the planning process. We also describe the methodology behind the damage and needs assessment and discuss themes for recovery. Long-form COAs that provide greater detail than found in the plan (e.g., cost estimations, implementation considerations) can be found at the end of this report. As described

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Section: Environmental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Social Services in Puerto Rico Before and After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Themes for Recovery

Chandra¹,

Marsh²,

Madrigano³

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…14 Initial investigation under the NIEHS Puerto Rico Test site for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) program suggested higher turbidity, bacteria counts, and concentrations of CVOCs, relative to water quality before HM, which may pose potential risks to the environment and human health for an extended period of time. 1,14 Watkins et al recently reported HM-related increases of urinary phthalate levels in the PR population, 15 ical exposures mostly via contaminated water and food sources.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies have reported the HM-impaired regional water cycle and coastal waters in PR due to the disturbed land-surface vegetation and enhanced runoff, , which may trigger the release of various toxic substances into source waters and ultimately, degradation of drinking water quality when lacking effective water treatment systems . Initial investigation under the NIEHS Puerto Rico Test site for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) program suggested higher turbidity, bacteria counts, and concentrations of CVOCs, relative to water quality before HM, which may pose potential risks to the environment and human health for an extended period of time. , Watkins et al recently reported HM-related increases of urinary phthalate levels in the PR population, providing evidence in hurricane-affected chemical exposures mostly via contaminated water and food sources. A recent water quality study focusing on microbial community characterization after two back-to-back hurricanes (Irma and Maria) on St. Thomas pointed out the urgent need for cistern water management to prevent ingestion- and/or inhalation-related waterborne diseases .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Hurricane Maria on Drinking Water Quality in Puerto Rico

Lin

Sevillano-Rivera

Jiang

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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This study performed a comprehensive assessment of the impact of Hurricane Maria (HM) on drinking water quality in Puerto Rico (PR) by integrating targeted chemical analysis of both inorganic (18 trace elements) and organic trace pollutants (200 micropollutants) with high-throughput quantitative toxicogenomics and in vitro biomarkers-based toxicity assays. Average concentrations of 14 detected trace elements and 20 organic micropollutants showed elevation after HM. Arsenic, sucralose, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), atrazine-2-hydroxy, benzotriazole, acesulfame, and prometon were at significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels in the post-HM than in the pre-HM samples. Thirteen micropollutants, including four pesticides, were only detected in posthurricane samples. Spatial comparison showed higher pollutant and toxicity levels in the samples from northern PR (where eight Superfund sites are located) than in those from southern PR. Distinctive pathway-specific molecular toxicity fingerprints for water extracts before and after HM and at different locations revealed changes in toxicity nature that likely resulted from the impact of HM on drinking water composition. Correlation analysis and Maximum Cumulative Ratio assessment suggested that metals (i.e., arsenic) and PFOA were the top ranked pollutants that have the potential to cause increased risk after HM, providing a possible direction for future water resource management and epidemiological studies.

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“…When Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017, the team quickly mobilized, leveraging their existing infrastructure and trusted partner networks to meet the basic health needs of their community [ 111 , 112 , 113 ]. Since then, they have continued to investigate the effects of Hurricane Maria on people’s health in Puerto Rico.…”

Section: Understanding Effects and Protecting Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience

Amolegbe

Lopez

Velasco

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Approximately 2000 official and potential Superfund sites are located within 25 miles of the East or Gulf coasts, many of which will be at risk of flooding as sea levels rise. More than 60 million people across the United States live within 3 miles of a Superfund site. Disentangling multifaceted environmental health problems compounded by climate change requires a multidisciplinary systems approach to inform better strategies to prevent or reduce exposures and protect human health. The purpose of this minireview is to present the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program (SRP) as a useful model of how this systems approach can help overcome the challenges of climate change while providing flexibility to pivot to additional needs as they arise. It also highlights broad-ranging SRP-funded research and tools that can be used to promote health and resilience to climate change in diverse contexts.

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Puerto Rico struggles to assess hurricane’s health effects

Cited by 5 publications

References 2 publications

Health and Social Services in Puerto Rico Before and After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Themes for Recovery

Health and Social Services in Puerto Rico Before and After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Themes for Recovery

Impact of Hurricane Maria on Drinking Water Quality in Puerto Rico

Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience

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