Understanding Chelsea, MA’s Air Pollution in a Changing Climate

Project Partner: GreenRoots, Inc., Summer 2022

Project Description: Work analyzing both air quality and heat concurrently are limited; we need to better understand community residents’ and decision makers’ perceptions relating to air quality and heat, access to air quality and heat information, and specific PM2.5- and heat-attributable health impacts.

Alina’s work built on previous research conducted by the Chelsea and East Boston

Heat Study (C-HEAT), a partnership between investigators at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and GreenRoots, Inc, an environmental justice non-profit based in Chelsea. She primarily investigated heat and air pollution exposures and participated in organizing and outreach efforts with Chelsea community members. She also created survey questions for outreach efforts, descriptive maps, and an interview methodology handout aimed at furthering climate and air quality work in Chelsea.

Main Project Deliverables:

• Air quality in Chelsea, Section 5: What is the Community Saying about air quality?
• Engaging with decision-makers on air quality and heat in Chelsea and East Boston, MA: an overview of interview methodology

See Alina’s URBAN Internship lightning talk here.