Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Environmental Topics
  • Laws & Regulations
  • Report a Violation
  • About EPA
Risk Assessment
Contact Us

EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: Smoke Sense – a Citizen (Social) Science Approach to Inform and Improve Public Health Related to Wildfire Smoke Exposure

On this page:

  • Overview
Strategies for effective health risk communication during wildfire smoke Presenter: Ana Rappold, EPA ORD   Air pollution and wildfire smoke can have immediate and lasting health effects. Individuals who are regularly exposed to poor air quality may report different health behaviors and conditions than those who are less exposed. EPA researchers set out to determine whether self-reported protective behaviors or health conditions differed by air quality. [Inserted Image is no longer available, see https://epa.gov/enviroatlas for details]

To conduct this research EPA scientists developed Smoke Sense, a citizen science project which provides real-time information on wildfire smoke and air quality and allows users to engage in citizen science by reporting their experiences with smoke, heath symptoms, and exposure-reducing behaviors. Through the participation of citizen scientists, EPA seeks to understand the relationship between health risk communication strategies and individuals' adoption of health protective behaviors. The study explores the role of risk perceptions and personal motivations for engagement and changing behavior. Smoke Sense also demonstrates effective use of technology for health research and risk communication. Using a mobile app, Smoke Sense advances methodology for rigorously collecting data during emergent and dynamic conditions while simultaneously encouraging adoption of exposure-reducing behaviors.

Impact/Purpose

Webinar for EPA Tools

Citation

Rappold, A. EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: Smoke Sense – a Citizen (Social) Science Approach to Inform and Improve Public Health Related to Wildfire Smoke Exposure. EPA Tools and Resources webinar, Durham, North Carolina, September 15, 2021.
  • Risk Assessment Home
  • About Risk Assessment
  • Risk Recent Additions
  • Human Health Risk Assessment
  • Ecological Risk Assessment
  • Risk Advanced Search
    • Risk Publications
  • Risk Assessment Guidance
  • Risk Tools and Databases
  • Superfund Risk Assessment
  • Where you live
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on September 20, 2023
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshots
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.