# Los AngeleS Voices on Oil, Community, Environment and Salud (LAS VOCES) Study

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2023 · $598,903

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Petroleum extraction is increasingly common in urbanized areas, and yet, epidemiological research on the health
consequences for nearby urban residents is sparse. Los Angeles (LA) County, California has the largest urban
oilfield in the country and is home to thousands of active oil wells in very close proximity to homes and schools.
Few protections are in place to prevent the release of pollutants into nearby residential areas and understanding
the impacts to air quality and health among neighbors is urgently needed to inform public health protections. The
overall goal of this study is to extend a robust community-academic partnership to assess the health effects of
exposures to oil drilling wells and inform public health actions in South LA, a predominantly low-income
multiethnic community of color that faces environmental health disparities. To achieve this, the University of
Southern California and Occidental College have formed a collaboration with Redeemer Community Partnership,
a longstanding neighborhood-based organization in South LA that addresses the health and well-being of local
families. Preliminary collaborative research demonstrates episodic oil-related neighborhood air pollution events
and adverse impacts on respiratory health among residents living closer to drill sites. The proposed project, the
Los AngeleS Voices on Oil, Community, the Environment and Salud study (LAS VOCES), will examine
links between urban oil drilling, air quality and respiratory health, and enhance the capacity of the South LA
community to take action based on the identified the environmental or health impacts. The proposed
collaborative, community-driven project will 1) engaged exposed communities; 2) quantify the impact of oil drilling
on air quality using an innovative low-cost sensor network: 3) establish a diverse cohort to assess longitudinal
respiratory health of residents living near oil wells in different stages of production; and 4) develop an action-
oriented community public health plan leveraging interviews with diverse stakeholders. Our work will fill a critical
gap on impacts of urban oil drilling activities on neighborhood respiratory health and air quality through a
prospective study, as well as identify how diverse stakeholders might work together to protect public health for
vulnerable populations living nearby urban oil drilling. This project will advance community and scientific
knowledge through participatory research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10568990
- **Project number:** 5R01ES033478-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Jill E Johnston
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $598,903
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-02-09 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10568990

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10568990, Los AngeleS Voices on Oil, Community, Environment and Salud (LAS VOCES) Study (5R01ES033478-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10568990. Licensed CC0.

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