Grantee Research Project Results

A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)

EPA Grant Number: R828678C004
Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R824834
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico
Center Director: Alshawabkeh, Akram
Title: A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)
Investigators: Beskid, Craig
Institution: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey , Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
Current Institution: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute , The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: January 2, 2001 through December 31, 2005 (Extended to December 31, 2008)
RFA: Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC) (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Targeted Research

Objective:

As part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the objective of this project is to study personal exposure to air toxics (volatile organic compounds, VOCs) among a representative sample of the United States population.

This project was initiated by the center in June 1998 under a previous EPA grant (Grant No. R824834C004).

Approach:

After we conduct a pilot study to test procedures, we will obtain 48-72-hour measurements of personal exposure to selected VOCs for 1,000 individuals between the ages of 20 and 59. The VOCs monitored by the exposure dosimeters worn by individuals include: benzene; 1,3 butadiene; carbon tetrachloride; chloroform; 1,4-dichloreoethylene; ethylbenzene; methylene chloride; styrene; tetrachlorethylene; toluene; trichlorethylene; o-xylene; m/p-xylene; methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE); and chloroprene. We will examine the relationship between personal exposure to selected VOCs and demographic, economic, and behavioral characteristics obtained from interview data and the variation in exposure. This project will be carried out at several sites and each site will be visited for a period of 4 to 6 weeks.

Expected Results:

We expect to find some correlations between personal exposure to VOCs and demographic, economic, and/or behavioral characteristics. Data from the survey will be released, without personal identifiers, at the completion of the data collection period.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 1 publications for this subproject | View all 144 publications for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

volatile organic compounds, VOCs, urban, air pollution, NHANES, survey, exposure., RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Air, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, HUMAN HEALTH, particulate matter, Air Pollution, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, air toxics, Exposure, Chemicals, Risk Assessments, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Physical Processes, Atmospheric Sciences, genetic susceptability, Biology, Risk Assessment, copollutant exposures, sensitive populations, atmospheric particulate matter, cardiopulmonary responses, fine particles, PM 2.5, long term exposure, biomarkers, air pollutants, inhaled pollutants, acute cardiovascular effects, acute lung injury, behavioral characteristics, chronic health effects, lung inflammation, particulate exposure, cardiopulmonary response, industrial air pollution, human exposure, demographics, Acute health effects, inhaled, human susceptibility, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), air contaminant exposure, air quality, co-pollutants, environmental hazard exposures, atmospheric chemistry, toxics, airborne urban contaminants, acute exposure, human health risk

Progress and Final Reports:

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R824834 Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R824834C001 Air Toxics Exposures Among Teenagers in New York City and Los Angeles - A Columbia-Harvard Study (TEACH)
R824834C002 Cardiopulmonary Response to Particulate Exposure
R824834C003 VOC Exposure in an Industry Impacted Community
R824834C004 A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)
R824834C005 Methods Development Project for a Study of Personal Exposures to Toxic Air Pollutants
R824834C006 Relationship Between Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA)
R824834C007 Development of the "Leland Legacy" Air Sampling Pump
R824834C008 Source Apportionment of Indoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Urban Residences
R824834C009 Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
R824834C010 Testing the Metals Hypothesis in Spokane
R828678C001 Air Toxics Exposures Among Teenagers in New York City and Los Angeles—A Columbia-Harvard Study (TEACH)
R828678C002 Cardiopulmonary Effects of Metal-Containing Particulate Exposure
R828678C003 VOC Exposure in an Industry Impacted Community
R828678C004 A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)
R828678C005 Oxygenated Urban Air Toxics and Asthma Variability in Middle School Children: A Panel Study (ATAC–Air Toxics and Asthma in Children)
R828678C006 Relationship between Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA). Part II: Analyses of Concentrations of Particulate Matter Species
R828678C007 Development of the “Leland Legacy” Air Sampling Pump
R828678C008 Source Apportionment of Indoor PAHs in Urban Residences 98-03B
R828678C009 Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
R828678C010 Testing the Metals Hypothesis in Spokane
R828678C011 A Pilot Geospatial Analysis of Exposure to Air Pollutants (with Special Attention to Air Toxics) and Hospital Admissions in Harris County, Texas
R828678C012 Impact of Exposure to Urban Air Toxics on Asthma Utilization for the Pediatric Medicaid Population in Dearborn, Michigan
R828678C013 Field Validation of the Sioutas Sampler and Leland Legacy Pump – Joint Project with EPA’s Environmental Technology Validation Program (ETV)
R828678C014 Performance Evaluation of the 3M Charcoal Vapor Monitor for Monitor Low Ambient Concentrations of VOCs
R828678C015 RIOPA Database Development
R828678C016 Contributions of Outdoor PM Sources to Indoor and Personal Exposures: Analysis of PM Species Concentrations” Focused on the PM Speciation and Apportioning of Sources
R828678C017 The Short and Long-Term Respiratory Effects of Exposure to PAHs from Traffic in a Cohort of Asthmatic Children

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.