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APPLYING EXPOSURE TOOLS TO SUPPORT HEALTH STUDIES
Impact/Purpose:
The overall goal of this task is to apply exposure and source apportionment tools (measurements and models) to support ongoing and planned health studies.
Description:
Air pollution from ambient sources continues to adversely impact human health in the United States. A fundamental goal for EPA is to implement air quality standards and regulations that reduce health risks associated with exposures to criteria pollutants and air toxics. However, this is not an easy or straightforward task. The NRC has recommended that research should be conducted to identify those pollutants and sources that are responsible for the most significant risks in air sheds. A critical component of this research is to develop an understanding of how pollutants from sources impact ambient concentrations and, in turn, impacts human exposure and health. This information provides a fundamental linkage for evaluating health impacts and developing effective mitigation strategies.
The purpose of this task is to provide analysis of measurement and modeling data in support of ongoing and planned studies to evaluate the relationship between exposure to air pollutant sources and health effects. Associated subtasks include future research (source to effects toxicology studies) and completion of on-going studies (DCHS and NC-ACES). The research entails HEASD scientists integrating measurements of exposure and environmental levels of air pollutants and then applying spatial, human exposure and source apportionment models to support epidemiological and toxicological studies through collaboration with NHEERL. Current research involves studies of potentially susceptible individuals who may be especially vulnerable to air pollution exposures. The Detroit Children's Health Study (DCHS) is an epidemiological study examining associations between chronic environmental exposures to combustion-related air pollutants and pulmonary health among elementary school-age children in Detroit, MI. The NC-ACES, NC-AAES, and NC-DEPS are prospective exposure-epidemiological studies of potentially susceptible subpopulations (asthmatics and diabetics).