WCAHS faculty, staff, and students conduct research on high hazard topics and causes of injuries and illness in agriculture. The center has five main research projects funded by NIOSH as well as projects supported by other funding sources. All current research projects are detailed below.
Co-exposures to agriculture and wildfire emissions
California farmworkers are burdened by exposure to agriculture emissions and wildfire smoke. This research aims to establish more effective strategies for mitigating exposures, increasing awareness of protective measures, and regulating air quality to improve farmworker health.
Sustainable alternatives to pesticides
Commonly used soil fumigants (a type of pesticide) are toxic and carcinogenic. The objective of this research is to promote human health by advancing biosolarization to replace the use of soil fumigants to eliminate pests from soil.
Agricultural all-terrain vehicle safety
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) rollovers are one of the leading causes of injury and death in agriculture. The results from this study will establish interventions to reduce the likelihood of ATV rollover injuries and fatalities in agriculture by identifying unsafe load and terrain conditions.
Occupational exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria
There is concern that antibiotic use in animal agriculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance in farmworkers. This research will define the occupational tasks with high risk of exposure to antimicrobial resistance.
Surveillance of occupational health and injuries
Documentation of agricultural injuries in the western states is often incomplete and reported at too broad a scale to target prevention activities and interventions. This research will disseminate data related to agricultural injuries by state, crop type, and task to inform agricultural safety and health interventions.
Farmworker housing study
Farmworkers are one of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S. due to compounding socioeconomic disadvantages including housing needs. The farmworker housing study will provide data to inform policy and housing development decisions to improve farmworker living conditions and increase the availability of affordable farmworker housing in California. This project is funded by the State of California and administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. WCAHS researchers are partnering with the California Coalition for Rural Housing to conduct the study.