eng International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 2220-8860 2015-12-1 5 4 128 141 1 article G. Dory 1 2 Z. Qiu 1 2 C. Qiu 1 2 M.R. Fu 1 2 C.E. Ryan 1 2 U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny, New Jersey, 07806, USA Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, 07102, USA Harvard College, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA College of Nursing, New York University, New York, New York, 10010, USA North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, New York, New York, 10030, USA Environmental risks cause physical and psychological distresses to individuals who live in environmental justice (EJ) communities and significantly affect their perception of wellbeing. Little is known about how these individuals perceive and manage to reduce environmental risks. The study utilizes a phenomenological approach to explore and describe these individuals' perceived environmental risk and their experience of reducing such risks. A qualitative and longitudinal design with a descriptive phenomenological method was used to recruit 23 participants living in a known EJ community in the Ironbound, New Jersey. A total of 43 indepth interviews were completed, audio recorded, and transcribed. Interview transcripts and field notes were the data sources. Data was analyzed to identify the essential structure of their experience. Participants described their awareness and perception of environmental risks in their community and the strategies they purposively assumed to protect themselves. Three essential intentional risk reduction strategies undertaken by the participants were: reducing personal exposure to environmental hazards, trying to work with the community to improve environmental conditions, and taking individual action to improve the community. The environmental risks perceived by participants tended to be small and insignificant in scale and local in space, but directly affect their wellbeing. To enhance individuals' intentional risk reduction strategies and optimize the living experiences in EJ communities, future research and policy making should focus on comprehensive strategies that incorporate individuals' perceptions and intentional strategies to develop community specific environmental policy and action plans. http://www.iaees.org/publications/journals/piaees/articles/2015-5(4)/reducing-environmental-risks-in-justice-community.pdf Lived experiences environmental justice qualitative research descriptive phenomenology ironbound Newark