PILOT: Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences: Community-Engaged Appalachian Drinking Water Health Effects Study

Residents of Appalachian Kentucky suffer from an increased prevalence of may chronic diseases, including a variety of cancers. One of the contributing factors to this has been hypothesized to be a degraded drinking water infrastructure. This project will focus on Martin County Kentucky, where the population as a high incidence of bladder cancer and other adverse health outcomes. The municipal drinking water system in Martin County has been out of compliance with EPA regulations for disinfection byproducts (DBPs) for many years. Trihalomethanes and trihaloacetic acids are among the DBPs of concern in Martin County, and residents have questioned whether the presence of DBPs, and other chemical and biological contaminants in the drinking water system are related to perceived health disparities. This project will engage with local citizens in Martin County to design and conduct a study to quantify the presence of DBPs, metals, and other chemical constituents in the drinking water system and to collect information on health outcomes and demographics from local residents. We will analyze the results to determine if adverse health outcomes are spatially correlated with drinking water quality. The results of the study will be communicated to the community and we will continue to engage them in funding of a larger scale study depending on the results.