Los Angeles neighborhood oil drilling and breathing health
Los AngeleS Voices On Community, Environment and Salud (LAS VOCES) Study
This project looks at whether air pollution from oil drilling near homes in South Los Angeles affects the breathing and respiratory health of nearby families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11357902 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you live in South Los Angeles near oil wells, researchers will work with local community partners to measure air pollution around drill sites and in nearby neighborhoods. They will collect breathing-related health information from residents, such as symptoms and lung function or survey data, to link personal health with local air quality. The team will compare health and exposure between people living closer to wells and those farther away to identify patterns. Results will be shared with the community to help inform local public health actions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people or families who live, go to school, or work near active oil wells in South Los Angeles, especially those with asthma or other breathing problems.
Not a fit: People who live far from urban oil drilling or outside Los Angeles County, or those unable to participate in monitoring or surveys, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could support stronger local protections and reduce pollution exposure to improve breathing health for nearby residents.
How similar studies have performed: Early local work has shown pollution spikes and links to worse respiratory symptoms near wells, but larger community-based research on urban oil drilling impacts is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnston, Jill E — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Johnston, Jill E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.