Gabriel M. Filippelli

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1805/38497

Building Environmental Optimism from the Ground Up

Gabriel Filippelli, Ph.D., is interested in engaging communities to help them identify and overcome environmental challenges that face them. This includes his citizen-science work on lead exposure as well as his public speaking and writing activities revolving around the climate crisis.

Dr. Filippelli is working to alleviate lead poisoning, a tragic and avoidable harm that often brings cognitive challenges. Lead is present in soils, dust, paint, and water pipes, but we collectively have done a terrible job of identifying lead hotspots in communities and dealing with them. This is where Dr. Filippelli's community science approach comes in—by providing some guidance, participants collect environmental samples which are analyzed for free to identity lead and other heavy metals. If values are normal, then they can carry on with their lives, but when elevated values are found, Dr. Filippelli and his research team provide guidance on low-cost mitigation strategies that participants can use to reduce their risk of exposure.

Dr. Filippelli also highlights the unjust impacts of climate change and climate-fueled disasters, and places climate change in the geologic context so that people can better understand the forces at play, and can be assured that their individual and collective actions can bend the climate needle to reduce current and future harm. Dr. Filippelli tries to amplify this message by being a frequent media contributor and speaker, and has authored and edited several books on the topic. Dr. Filippelli's work to improve the health of communities and the climate is another excellent example of how IUPUI's faculty members are TRANSLATING their RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 60

Addressing Pollution-Related Global Environmental Health Burdens
(AGU, 2018-02-19) Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Taylor, Mark P.; Earth Sciences, School of Science
New analyses are revealing the scale of pollution on global health, with a disproportionate share of the impact borne by lower‐income nations, minority and marginalized individuals. Common themes emerge on the drivers of this pollution impact, including a lack of regulation and its enforcement, research and expertise development, and innovative funding mechanisms for mitigation. Creative approaches need to be developed and applied to address and overcome these obstacles. The existing “business as usual” modus operandi continues to externalize human health costs related to pollution, which exerts a negative influence on global environmental health.
Addressing Risks of Lead in Water and Soil: Using Citizen Science and a Unique Partnership with Faith Organizations
(ENGAGE! Co-created Knowledge Serving the City, 2021-10-12) Filippelli, Gabriel; Hicks, Ivan; Druschel, Gregory; Kelly, Jason M.; Shukle, John; Strout, Spencer; Nichols, Natalie; Stroud, Dawson; Ottenweller, Megan; Ohrberg, Makayla; Longbrake, Marisa; Wood, Leah; Clark, Benjamin; Fryling, Kevin
One of the most widespread environmental health hazards in the United States remains exposure to the harmful neurotoxin lead. So much lead remains in the urban environment that it is not unusual to find neighborhoods where more than 10% of children exhibit harmful levels of lead, compared to the national average of about 1%. To overcome this challenge, a partnership between IUPUI researchers and faith organizations in Indianapolis is taking aim at the risk of household lead contamination by providing residents the tools they need to protect against it. The community-driven science aspect of this project is intentional—not only will the individuals who participate benefit directly, but the resulting data will also play a role in keeping communities safer more broadly.
Addressing the Need for Just GeoHealth Engagement: Evolving Models for Actionable Research That Transform Communities
(AGU, 2021-12) Hayhow, Claire M.; Brabander, Dan J.; Jim, Rebecca; Lively, Martin; Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Earth Sciences, School of Science
GeoHealth as a research paradigm offers the opportunity to re-evaluate common research engagement models and science training practices. GeoHealth challenges are often wicked problems that require both transdisciplinary approaches and the establishment of intimate and long-term partnerships with a range of community members. We examine four common modes of community engagement and explore how research projects are launched, who has the power in these relationships, and how projects evolve to become truly transformative for everyone involved.
Assessing Unequal Airborne Exposure to Lead Associated With Race in the USA
(Wiley, 2023-07-24) Laidlaw, Mark A. S.; Mielke, Howard W.; Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Science
Recent research applied the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Chemical Speciation Network and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments monitoring stations and observed that mean concentrations of atmospheric lead (Pb) in highly segregated counties are a factor of 5 higher than in well‐integrated counties and argument is made that regulation of existing airborne Pb emissions will reduce children's Pb exposure. We argue that one of the main sources of children's current Pb exposure is from resuspension of legacy Pb in soil dust and that the racial disparity of Pb exposure is associated with Pb‐contaminated community soils.
Balancing the Global Distribution of Phosphorus With a View Toward Sustainability and Equity
(AGU, 2018) Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Earth Sciences, School of Science
Limitations in the geological reserves of phosphate rock, the source of fertilizer phosphorus, are not currently considered in agricultural practices or global trade, a very short‐sighted approach considering that there is no “alternative fuel” for plant growth. Thus, it is important to understand the science of phosphorus‐crop growth dynamics as a function of grain type, plant uptake, climate, and past fertilizer phosphorus application history. Recent work on modeling these factors on the global scale (Kvakić et al., 2018) provides the first scientific backdrop for developing an understanding of fertilizer phosphorus balances, and for informing forward‐looking practices and policies that regulate toward long‐term sustainability rather than short‐term profit.
Building Environmental Optimism from the Ground Up
(Center for Translating Research Into Practice, IU Indianapolis, 2024-04-26) Filippelli, Gabriel
Many communities are plagued by long-standing environmental injustices, many of them deeply embedded in the fabric of neighborhoods due to redlining and other systemic practices. These injustices include widespread contamination by lead (a neurotoxin), poor air quality, and lack of climate resilience. Dr. Filippelli shares in-depth examples of these issues, and his own approach to community-based research that strives to provide data, resources, and agency for communities to tip the balance toward equity.
Carbon and Phosphorus Cycling in Arabian Sea Sediments across the Oxygen Minimum Zone
(Longdom Publishing, 2017-11-09) Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Cowie, Gregory L.; Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Science
Several studies have focused on carbon, oxygen, and phosphorus dynamics across the modern oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) to constrain how signals of modern systems get “locked in” upon burial. In this study, a sequential phosphorus fractionation technique was applied to surficial and sub-surface sediments from stations at depths spanning the OMZ on the Pakistan margin of the Arabian Sea in order to test the oxygen-carbon-phosphorus connection in modern marine sediments. Some early diagenetic loss of phosphorus compared to organic carbon was observed, but a significant portion of the released phosphorus was retained by uptake on oxyhydroxides and by the formation of an authigenic phosphorus-bearing phase. This process is unaffected by station location relative to the OMZ, and results in an effective organic carbon-to-reactive-phosphorus sediment ratio that is close to the average observed for open-ocean sediments, regardless of bottom water oxygen content.
Cardiovascular-Related Outcomes in U.S. Adults Exposed to Lead
(MDPI, 2018-04) Obeng-Gyasi, Emmanuel; Armijos, Rodrigo X.; Weigel, M. Margaret; Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Sayegh, M. Aaron; Earth Sciences, School of Science
Cardiovascular-related clinical markers were evaluated in this cross-sectional study of United States adults (aged ≥ 20) exposed to lead via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008 and the 2009–2010 datasets. In four quartiles of exposure—0–2 μg/dL, 2–5 μg/dL, 5–10 μg/dL, and 10 μg/dL and over, clinical and anthropometric markers were evaluated—to examine how the markers manifested in the quartiles. Associations were determined via linear regression. Finally, clinical makers, and how they manifested between exposed and less-exposed occupations, were explored in addition to how duration of exposure altered these clinical markers. In regression analysis, Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, were significantly associated with blood lead level (BLL). In the occupational analysis, Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), DBP, C-reactive protein (CRP), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, showed differences between populations in the exposed and less-exposed occupations. Regarding Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, the duration of exposure altered SBP, CRP, and LDL cholesterol. With mining, the duration of exposure altered SBP, DBP, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol, whereas in construction, the duration in occupation altered SBP, triglycerides, and CRP. In conclusion, lead exposure has a profound effect on the cardiovascular system, with potentially adverse outcomes existing at all exposure levels.
Case studies and evidence-based approaches to addressing urban soil lead contamination
(Elsevier, 2017-08) Laidlaw, Mark A. S.; Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Brown, Sally; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge; Reichman, Suzie M.; Netherway, Pacian; Truskewycz, Adam; Ball, Andrew S.; Mielke, Howard W.; Earth Science, School of Science
Urban soils in many communities in the United States and internationally have been contaminated by lead (Pb) from past use of lead additives in gasoline, deterioration of exterior paint, emissions from Pb smelters and battery recycling and other industries. Exposure to Pb in soil and related dust is widespread in many inner city areas. Up to 20–40% of urban children in some neighborhoods have blood lead levels (BLLs) equal to or above 5 μg per decilitre, the reference level of health concern by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Given the widespread nature of Pb contamination in urban soils it has proven a challenge to reduce exposure. In order to prevent this exposure, an evidence-based approach is required to isolate or remediate the soils and prevent children and adult's ongoing exposure. To date, the majority of community soil Pb remediation efforts have been focused in mining towns or in discrete neighborhoods where Pb smelters have impacted communities. These efforts have usually entailed very expensive dig and dump soil Pb remediation techniques, funded by the point source polluters. Remediating widespread non-point source urban soil contamination using this approach is neither economical nor feasible from a practical standpoint. Despite the need to remediate/isolate urban soils in inner city areas, no deliberate, large scale, cost effective Pb remediation schemes have been implemented to isolate inner city soils impacted from sources other than mines and smelters. However, a city-wide natural experiment of flooding in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that declines in soil Pb resulted in major BLL reductions. Also a growing body of literature of smaller scale pilot studies and programs does exist regarding low cost efforts to isolate Pb contaminated urban soils. This paper reviews the literature regarding the effectiveness of soil Pb remediation for reducing Pb exposure and BLL in children, and suggests best practices for addressing the epidemics of low-level Pb poisoning occurring in many inner city areas.
Center for Urban Health: Enhancing the health of cities by focusing on communities and the environment
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2012-04-13) Filippelli, Gabriel; Johnson, Daniel P.; Wiehe, Sarah; Zollinger, Terry
Urban sustainability is a new philosophy of developing healthy, productive communities that (1) promote and use locally-produced foods and products, (2) ensure safe access to natural spaces, and (3) establish low-carbon transportation systems. Urban living is arguably the most sustainable form of community given the concentration of resources, protection of arable land, and vertical structure of housing. In fact, urbanization is becoming the global norm; the percentage of global population living in urban settings has increased from less than 30% in 1950 to 47% in 2000; the percentage of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 60% by 2025. The promise of a healthy and sustainable urban future is clouded, however, by the reality of environmental insults, economic disparities, and behavioral pressures that exist in modern cities. The challenge is not how to build a shiny carbon-neutral city from scratch, but rather how to transition our current urban state toward one that is healthier, has less environmental impact, and is more prepared to respond and adjust to variety of environmental, social, and health changes in the future. Several groups at IUPUI and in the community are collaborating to explore connections between environment, behavior, health, and climate as related to urban environments. These translational efforts are inter- and trans-disciplinary, as evidenced by earth scientists publishing with pediatricians, and geographers publishing with epidemiologists. These efforts are largely undertaken with a geospatial and geotemporal research template. This template allows environmental, health, and behavioral data to be collected individually but with reference to space and time, which become important metadata components for analysis. The Center for Urban Health promotes discovery by building research collaborations among Center Investigators, providing seed funds for new research areas, funding graduate fellowships, and sponsoring educational activities such as public lectures and a Visiting Scholars Program.

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