Grantee Research Project Results
2018 Progress Report: Indoor Environment and Emergency Response Health Outcomes
EPA Grant Number: R835749Title: Indoor Environment and Emergency Response Health Outcomes
Investigators: Uejio, Christopher K , Tamerius, James D
Institution: Florida State University , University of Iowa
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: May 1, 2015 through April 30, 2018 (Extended to April 30, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2018 through April 30,2019
Project Amount: $500,000
RFA: Indoor Air and Climate Change (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Climate Change , Air
Objective:
The objectives of this study are
- to quantify the relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity and the built environment;
- find actionable thresholds linking indoor temperature, humidity, and the built environment to extreme heat (summer) and influenza like illness (winter) distress calls;
- project future health risk related to climatic, demographic, and built environment changes.
Progress Summary:
There is limited evidence directly linking indoor heat exposure to health outcomes By partnering with Emergency Medical Services, our first publication (Uejio et al. 2016) observed indoor conditions of people receiving emergency care The results suggest people may suffer from hot indoor environments even during “moderate” summer periods.
The second publication (Tamerius et al. 2017) is the first study to estimate temperature and humidity conditions during tropical influenza transmission in a real-world environment We showed evidence of influenza transmission in extreme temperature and humidity conditions. For example, during one transmission period temperatures exceeded 39 ºC, and specific and relative humidity reached 22 g/kg and 85%, respectively.
The third publication (Jung and Uejio 2017) studies how people use social media to discuss extreme heat and air conditioning In Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, people talked about extreme heat and air conditioning more during hotter compared to cooler than normal periods.
The fourth study (Uejio et al. 2018) investigated the heat exposure of workers who work outdoors or indoor locations without air conditioning The study found that everyday heat exposures continuously challenge the health of outdoor worker Many participants experienced hotter and more humid conditions than the local weather station.
The fifth manuscript (Tamerius et al. 2019) is the nation’s first systematic study of influenza seasonality. Using novel real time influenza tests, we could definitively identify the most common times when you could contract fluInterestingly, the flu transmission seasons were different in the southeastern U.S. and Hawaii compared to the rest of the nation.
Future Activities:
We are currently focusing on writing up the final indoor heat exposure study results from New York City, NY and Atlanta, GA.
References:
- Uejio, C.K., J.D. Tamerius, D. Issacs, J. Braun, J. Freese, A. Quinn, G. Asaeda. (2016) Indoor Environments of People Receiving Emergency Care. Indoor Air, 26(4), 594-604. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ina.12227.
- Tamerius, J.D., S. Ojeda, C.K.Uejio, J. Shaman, B. Lopez, N. Sanchez, A. Gordon. (2017) Extreme Indoor Conditions Mediate Flu Transmission in Low-Resource Tropical Setting. International Journal of Biometeorology. 61(4), 613–622. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1238-4.
- Jung, J., C.K. Uejio. (2017) Social Media and Thermal Comfort. International Journal of Biometeorology. 61(7), 1247–1260. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1302-0.
- Uejio, C. K., Morano, L. H., Jung, J., Kintziger, K., Jagger, M., Chalmers, J., et al. (2018). Occupational heat exposure among municipal workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1318-3.
- Tamerius, J., C.K. Uejio, and J. Koss. (2019) Seasonal Characteristics of Influenza Vary Regionally Across U.S. PLOS One 14(3):e0212511. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212511.
Journal Articles on this Report : 5 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 13 publications | 7 publications in selected types | All 7 journal articles |
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Jung J, Uejio CK. Social media responses to heat waves. International Journal of Biometeorology 2017;61(7):1247-1260. |
R835749 (2016) R835749 (2017) R835749 (2018) |
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Tamerius J, Ojeda S, Uejio CK, Shaman J, Lopez B, Sanchez N, Gordon A. Influenza transmission during extreme indoor conditions in a low-resource tropical setting. International Journal of Biometeorology 2017;61(4):613-622. |
R835749 (2016) R835749 (2017) R835749 (2018) |
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Uejio CK, Tamerius JD, Vredenburg J, Asaeda G, Issacs DA, Braun J, Quinn A, Freese JP. Summer indoor heat exposure and respiratory and cardiovascular distress calls in New York City, NY, U.S. Indoor Air 2016;26(4):594-604. |
R835749 (2015) R835749 (2017) R835749 (2018) |
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Uejio CK, Morano LH, Jung J, Kintziger K, Jagger M, Chalmers J, Holmes T. Occupational heat exposure among municipal workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 2018;91(6):705-715. |
R835749 (2017) R835749 (2018) |
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Tamerius J, Uejio CK, Koss J. Seasonal Characteristics of Influenza Vary Regionally Across US. PLOS One 2019; 14(3):e0212511. |
R835749 (2018) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
air, ambient air, indoor air, exposure, health effects, human health, vulnerability, sensitive populations, elderly, age, race, viruses, epidemiology, climatology, modeling, monitoring, analytical, climate models, Northeast, SoutheastRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.