Grantee Research Project Results
Soil/dust ingestion for children: a modeling and data collection approach based on regional and sociodemographic differences
EPA Grant Number: R840201Title: Soil/dust ingestion for children: a modeling and data collection approach based on regional and sociodemographic differences
Investigators: Ferguson, Alesia , Beamer, Paloma , Solo-Gabriele, Helena
Current Investigators: Ferguson, Alesia , Solo-Gabriele, Helena , Beamer, Paloma
Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University , University of Arizona , University of Miami
Current Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University , University of Miami , University of Arizona
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024 (Extended to June 30, 2025)
Project Amount: $1,340,704
RFA: Estimating Childrens Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Exposure Science (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Children's Health
Description:
Objective:
Perform studies to quantify dust loading on children’s hands (n=100) and indoor home surfaces (8 surfaces per home; n=800) to include innovative surface sampling, and hand rinse methodologies, in three different regions to detect loading variations based on location, and 2) Deliver a household dust survey to families (n=450) for analysis of key variables influencing children’s ingestion rates and dust loading on children’s hands and in homes.
Collection of children’s (n=100) hand contact and mouthing activities in homes through improved video capture and video-translation methods in order to expand the current database of children’s micro-activities to include key environments, locations, and demographic groups.
Enhance an existing validated model to capture additional soil/dust pathways for children’s dermal and non-dietary ingestion and to estimate soil and dust ingestion exposure factor distributions for children aged 6 months to 6 years, across multiple geographical locations and from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds based on newly collected and existing datasets.
Approach:
We will utilize a comprehensive modeling approach to estimate soil and dust ingestion distributions for children aged 6 months to 6 years by capitalizing on our pre-existing exclusive and unique database of children’s micro-level activity patterns and soil-dust/skin adherence studies. We will expand our database with critically needed novel data on dust loading in homes and on children’s hands, where the experimental approach will include newer techniques based on particle volume and density measurements. This study will also administer a survey to participating families (n=450) to broadly assess/identify key variables associated with dust loading on surfaces in children’s homes and hands. We will utilize an innovative and less intrusive approach to video capture/translation for collection of contact frequency/duration of surfaces to hand/mouth and hand to mouth activity. A dust community education tool for low resourced communities will be informed by objective a, and further developed and disseminated by our partnering community-based organizations.
Expected Results:
Risk assessment estimates will be improved because of reduced uncertainty in critical variables (i.e., daily soil and dust ingestion) and expansion of an existing validated model to simulate soil (based on previous studies) and dust ingestion (based on previous studies and data gathered in this project) across various geographic regions (i.e., North Carolina, Florida, and Arizona), built environments (i.e., urban, suburban, rural) and sociodemographic backgrounds for EPA recommended age groups of 6 months through 6 years.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Children’s Health, Soil Contamination, Risk AssessmentProgress and Final Reports:
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.