NuHart Community Health Survey

In collaboration with North Brooklyn Neighbors (NBN), NYU Langone Health, Division of Environmental Medicine is conducting a community health survey to learn more about potential health impacts of living near contaminated sites. Together, NBN and NYU are asking North Brooklyn community members who currently or previously lived or worked in close proximity to the NuHart Superfund Site to fill out a survey asking questions about their health and experiences living in the area. This survey was conceived of after hearing directly from residents about the need for such a study. To take the survey, click here.

If any of this applies to you (or someone you know), please read on to find out more information about the NuHart Community Health Survey. 

While you may not benefit personally from being in this study, we hope to give the North Brooklyn community a greater understanding of the effects of living near a toxic site. We hope that in the future, other people might also benefit from this study because the data from the survey will give communities a better understanding of how living near a State Superfund site may impact health, helping people to make decisions about where to live and when to advocate for public health and environmental clean-up.

Thank you!

What is “NuHart”?

The NuHart State Superfund Site is located at 65 Dupont Street in North Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In 2010, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation labeled NuHart a Class 2 Superfund Site. This means that hazardous waste has been found at the site, and it could be harmful to people’s health or the environment. The map below shows where the NuHart site is located.

For more details on NuHart’s status as a Superfund Site and its history, please visit our NuHart Superfund Site page here.

What is the purpose of the research being conducted at NuHart? 

The purpose of this research is to use a survey to gather data on the health status and environmental concerns of those who have been living/working full-time in the Greenpoint community for at least 2 years since 1950, specifically those in the area surrounding the former NuHart Plastics Manufacturing Facility. 

The site has been associated with two toxic plumes containing phthalates and TCEs. These are both chemicals that derived from the manufacturing and storage of plastics at the site, and each of them have been associated with a variety of health effects in other studies. The site has been undergoing clean-up since 2019 to address these toxic chemicals and is currently having new residential buildings constructed on it.

Who is conducting the study?

NYU Langone Health, who are long-time partners with NBN, are responsible for carrying out this study. The study team will be led by Dr. Judith Zelikoff from NYU Langone’s Division of Environmental Medicine, who has been working to better the health of environmental justice communities for decades. This research is funded by NYU Langone Health’s Division of Environmental Medicine.

What role would I play in the study?

Participating in this research is voluntary. If you choose to do so, you will be asked to complete a one-time, no more than 30-minute survey about your health and your experiences living/working in Greenpoint, near the NuHart State Superfund Site. This survey can be completed either on paper or using an online program called REDCap, and can be taken at any location. Research participants are allowed to withdraw from the survey, or stop answering the questions at any time without consequence. 

What are the potential risks/benefits of participating?

There are minimal risks associated with completing this survey. The main risk is a chance that your data could be seen by someone who should not have access to it. We are minimizing this risk in the following ways:  

• All data participants provide will be kept confidential.  
• All surveys will be concealed, and no one other than the research team will have access to them  
• The data collected will be stored in a secure database and deleted when no longer

You may not benefit personally from being in this study. However, we hope that, in the future, other people might benefit from this study because the data from the survey will give communities a better understanding of how living near a State Superfund site may impact health, helping people to make decisions about where to live and when to advocate for public health and environmental clean-up.

I’m in! Where can I go to participate?

You can click on the link here to complete the survey online. To obtain a paper copy, email Nicol.LaCumbre-Gibbs@nyulangone.org or lael@northbrooklynneighbors.org.

Can I get other people to complete the survey?

Absolutely! Anyone who is an adult and has lived or worked full-time in the blocks surrounding the NuHart facility for at least 2 years is eligible, so please share the link with them too.

Will I get to hear about your findings for the research?

Absolutely! Our researchers at NYU Langone have committed to reporting back their overall findings from the survey to the community when the study is completed in 2025 – we will keep you up to date regarding timing. 

Have more questions?

If you have any further questions regarding the NuHart Community Health Survey, please email Nicol.LaCumbre-Gibbs@nyulangone.org.

Study #: i24-00804