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USE OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EVALUATE YOUNG CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Citation:
Tulve, N S., P A. Jones, T R. McCurdy, R C. Fortmann, AND C Croghan. USE OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EVALUATE YOUNG CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES. Presented at International Society of Exposure Analysis 14th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, October 17-21, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
1. Identify and evaluate the factors that affect children's exposures as a function of age (for age bins proposed by EPA's Risk Assessment Forum).
2. Determine the impact of microenvironment and macroactivity on children's exposure to current-use pesticides and selected phthalates in residences.
3. Determine temporal variability of multimedia concentrations of selected pesticides and phthalates in the residences of very young children (0 to 3 years of age).
4. Perform aggregate exposure estimates for current-use pesticides (soon after application) and phthalates for very young children.
5. Evaluate the relationship between concentrations of biomarkers of exposure measured in urine and aggregate exposure estimates derived from diet and environmental measurements for pesticides and phthalates using the algorithms and approaches specified in the Draft Protocol for Measuring Children's Non-Occupational Exposure to Pesticides by all Relevant Pathways.
6. Evaluate and apportion exposure pathways for pesticides and phthalates.
7. Collect data for selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers (brominated flame retardants) and perfluorinated chemicals (PFOS and PFOA) in the diet and in environmental samples collected in the residences to assess spatial and temporal variability and the potential for children's exposure.
8. Evaluate the utility of the draft standardized protocol for performing exposure assessments for young children.
9. Develop critical inputs for the human exposure models (SHEDS, CARES, Lifeline, Calendex, and others).
10. Collect preliminary data on environmental concentrations of selected metals found in the outdoor residential environment.
11. Evaluate the utility of standardized data collection methods for future large scale studies.
Description:
Linking a young child's activity pattern data with the environmental, biological, and personal samples that are collected during an exposure assessment is important in evaluating potential exposures and dose associated with environmental contaminants. A number of different approaches have been taken to characterize children's activity levels, including videotaping of "normal" activities of the children, completing a time activity diary or "timeline" (a simplified activity diary) by the primary caregiver, and the wearing of an accelerometer by the child.
However, there is no documented relationship between the predictability and reliability of using an accelerometer, activity time line or diary, and videotaped segments to classify activity levels of a child going about his or her daily activities. Furthermore, the use of an accelerometer to relate activity level to potential contaminant exposure and intake/uptake dose rate is novel. A pilot study was performed to collect activity data from young children (n=9, <24 months) using all three methods in an integrated manner. Because up to 4 days of information are available, intra-individual variability in the data can also be addressed. Results from this pilot study are described and the concordance among the three methods of data collecting are tested and discussed.
Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.