Accessibility of cooling centers to heat-vulnerable populations in New York State.

Introduction: Spending a few hours to cool down in a cooling center reduces the impact of heat on health. But limited or lack of accessibility of these facilities is often a barrier to their utilization. The objective of this study was to assess accessibility of the cooling centers to heat-vulnerable populations in New York State (NYS) by various modes of transportation. Methods: We estimate the proximity of 377 cooling centers to general and heat-vulnerable populations in NYS (excluding New York City (NYC)) and determine their accessibility via walking, public transportation and driving. Distances between tract populations and nearest cooling center, and between cooling centers and public transportation stops were estimated. Accessibility in four metropolitan regions was determined via public transportation while accessibility in heat-vulnerable rural areas was estimated via driving. Results: Distances to nearest cooling center ranged from 0 to 53.2 miles with only a third of NYS population within walking distance (0.5 miles) of a cooling center. About 51% of heat-vulnerable tracts were within 0.5 miles, with an average distance of 2.4 miles to the nearest cooling center. Within the four metro politan regions 80% of cooling centers within 0.5 miles of a public transportation stop. All cooling centers in heat-vulnerable tracts were accessible via public transportation. In rural heat-vulnerable tracts, driving distances averaged at about 18 miles. Conclusions: In urban areas many residents were not within walking distance of a cooling center, but most, and nearly all in the most heat-vulnerable areas, were within walking distance of public transportation to a cooling center. In rural locations distances were longer, and accessibility is a greater issue. Cooling centers can be a valuable resource for general and heat-vulnerable populations during an extreme heat event. When planning and implementing cooling centers, it is therefore important to improve accessibility and address other barriers that can hamper their utilization.

Reproductive outcomes among former Love Canal residents, Niagara Falls, New York.

Love Canal, located in Niagara Falls, NY, and among the earliest and most significant hazardous waste sites in the United States, first came to public attention in 1978. In this study, researchers evaluated 1,799 live births from 1960 through 1996 to 980 women who formerly lived in the Love Canal Emergency Declaration Area and were of reproductive age sometime during that time period. Using Upstate New York and Niagara County as external comparison populations, standardized incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for low birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age, and congenital malformations, and unadjusted proportions of male to female births were calculated. Internal comparisons among the infants were also performed according to several measures of potential exposure using generalized estimating equations. The results indicated a statistically significant elevated risk of preterm birth among children born on the Love Canal prior to the time of evacuation and relocation of residents from the Emergency Declaration Area, using Upstate New York as the standard population (standardized incidence ratio=1.40; 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.90). Additionally, the ratio of male to female births was lower for children conceived in the Emergency Declaration Area (sex ratio=0.94 versus sex ratio=1.05 in the standard population) and the frequency of congenital malformations was greater than expected among Love Canal boys born from 1983 to 1996 (standardized incidence ratio=1.50 when compared to Upstate New York), although in both cases the 95% confidence interval included the null value. Finally, increased risk for low birth weight infants among mothers who lived closest to the Canal as children was found (odds ratio=4.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.24, 17.66), but this estimate was limited due to small numbers (n=4). The study adds to the knowledge of the possible reproductive effects from exposure to chemicals arising from hazardous waste; however, given the small number of some events, the qualitative nature of the exposure assessment, and possibility of spurious associations due to multiple comparisons, the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Concentrations of selected organochlorines and chlorobenzenes in the serum of former Love Canal residents, Niagara Falls, New York.

BACKGROUND: Love Canal, in Niagara Falls, NY is among the earliest and most significant hazardous waste sites in the USA, but no study has ever measured chemical body burdens in nearby residents to document that human exposure occurred. This study measured concentrations of selected organochlorines and chlorinated benzenes in archived serum samples collected from former Love Canal residents. METHODS: We analyzed serum samples collected from 373 former residents in 1978-1979 for compounds disposed of at Love Canal, and we compared their concentrations according to surrogate indicators of exposure such as residential proximity, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Three compounds were detectable in the serum of most participants: 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB). Concentrations of 1,2,4-TCB and 1,2-DCB were 2-14 times greater among persons who at the time their blood was collected lived closest to the Canal compared to those living further away. We found no consistent trends for beta-HCH with respect to any exposure definition. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that residential proximity to Love Canal contributed to the body burden of certain contaminants, and helps validate the use of surrogate exposure measures in health effect studies. Further surveillance of the Love Canal cohort is warranted.