Outdoor Air Emissions, Land Use, and Land Cover around Schools on Tribal Lands

Children from tribes are more burdened with adverse respiratory well-being outcomes versus other U.S. children. The objectives of this study were to identify stressors from the built and natural environments for tribal school-aged children. Outdoor air concentrations around U.S. tribal schools were linked to National Emission Inventories; ecoregions and National Land Cover Database; and American Community Survey and school map layers. Nine school sites (seven tribes, five U.S. states) were in three ecoregions: North American Deserts, Northern Forests, and Mediterranean California. Closest emission sources were oil, gas, airport, and manufacturing facilities. Maximum annual outdoor air concentrations were measured for toluene at two schools (29 ppb and 15 ppb, 2011), located four miles from a solid waste landfill and eight miles from paperboard/saw mills. Maximum annual concentrations of metals in particulate matter 10 micrometers and smaller were highest for manganese (68 ng/m3, 2011). Schools were in mainly arid and heavily forested lands. Closest emission sources were predominantly off tribal lands. Measurements were limited (<30/year). Compared to schools off tribal lands, schools on tribal lands were further away from roadway sources. Future research may examine outdoor air quality around schools with more developed land and indoor air for tribal children’s total exposure

An Ecological Function Approach to Managing Harmful Cyanobacteria in Three Oregon Lakes: Beyond Water Quality Advisories and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) uses Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) calculations, and the associated regulatory process, to manage harmful cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs) attributable to non-point source (NPS) pollution. TMDLs are based on response (lagging) indicators (e.g., measurable quantities of NPS (nutrients: nitrogen {N} and phosphorus {P}), and/or sediment), and highlight the negative outcomes (symptoms) of impaired water quality. These response indicators belatedly address water quality issues, if the cause is impaired riparian functions. Riparian functions assist in decreasing the impacts of droughts and floods (through sequestration of nutrients and excess sediment), allow water to remain on the land surface, improve aquatic habitats, improve water quality, and provide a focus for monitoring and adaptive management. To manage water quality, the focus must be on the drivers (leading indicators) of the causative mechanisms, such as loss of ecological functions. Success in NPS pollution control, and maintaining healthy aquatic habitats, often depends on land management/land use approaches, which facilitate the natural recovery of stream and wetland riparian functions. Focusing on the drivers of ecosystem functions (e.g., vegetation, hydrology, soil, and landform), instead of individual mandated response indicators, using the proper functioning condition (PFC) approach, as a best management practice (BMP), in conjunction with other tools and management strategies, can lead to pro-active policies and approaches, which support positive change in an ecosystem or watershed, and in water quality improvement