Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: 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: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey , The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 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: Targeted Research , Air Quality and Air Toxics

Objective:

The primary objectives of this research are:

To characterize the distribution of exposures to selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for a subset of the U.S. population, by obtaining 48-hour measurements of personal exposure to selected VOCs for 1,000 individuals between the ages of 20 and 59 years, selected as a representative subsample of this subgroup of the U.S. population;
To examine the relationship between personal exposure to selected VOCs and demographic, economic, and behavioral characteristics obtained from interview data; and to examine the variation in personal exposures of study subjects to VOCs in relation to demographic, economic, and behavioral factors.

During the three-year data collection period, exposures to VOCs for approximately 1,000 individuals were assessed through the use of personal exposure dosimeters (Model 3520 Organic Vapor Monitors, manufactured by 3M Company) that were worn by subjects for periods of 48-72 hours. Recruitment of participants into the NHANES survey during 1999 was somewhat lower than anticipated, but in 2000 and 2001, higher levels of response were achieved. The VOCs included in the project are the following: benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,4-dichloroethylene, ethylbenzene, methylene chloride, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, o-xylene, m/p-xylene, MTBE, and chloroprene. The data set constitutes a profile of air toxics exposures for a segment of the US population, and also offers the opportunity to correlate these data both with health data obtained for this subset of the NHANES population, as well as the health data for the NHANES population sample of US residents aged 20 to 59 years.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

This Project is a component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the period 1999-2001.
A pilot study was conducted from June 29 through August 9, 1998 to test procedures in an operational mode and to gather test data that were reviewed by collaborators.
A Dress Rehearsal, designed to allow a final practice of all activities, was held in March, 1999, and the survey began in April 3, 1999.
The VOC Project was conducted at 12 sites during 1999, and at 15 sites per year during 2000 and 2001. Each site was visited for a period of four to seven weeks.
Two additional analyses of NUATRC VOC Project data were conducted to prepare the data for inclusion in the NCHS planned public data release: (1) to examine the effects of extended badge storage after exposure for up to 3 months on the reliability of concentration measurements obtained from Organic Vapor Monitor badges and (2) to meet the rigorous standards for quality control in order to include NUATRC VOC Project data in the NHANES public data release. These analyses found that, except for 1,3-butadiene and chloroprene, measurements of exposure for the target compounds exhibited very good stability. Additional review and analysis of quality control data derived from analyses were in addition to those originally estimated and budgeted in order to prepare the VOC project data for public release. NCHS approved the QA/QC data, and then conducted a general review of the data set.
In October 2004, NCHS released the 1999 and 2000 NHANES VOC data set to the Center for review prior to its public release on the NCHS website. The Center contracted with Dr. Bill Spears, School of Public Health, at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, and to Dr. Tom Stock, School of Public Health, at the University of Texas, Health Science Center, Houston, to assist in this quality assurance effort. The aims for this data review were: (1) to determine whether the environmental measurements were comparable with measurements from previous population studies of personal exposure of this type; and whether these measurements demonstrated the types of consistent relationships between compounds observed by other investigators; (2) to demonstrate the feasibility of performing appropriate analyses for groups of study subjects that involved exposure variables from the VOC Project and demographic variables from the main NHANES survey; and (3) to evaluate household and activity data obtained from the VOC Project study subject questionnaires and investigation of potential associations between these activities and personal exposures. Results of the review were consistent with findings from other studies of this type, as well as being consistent with his reviewers’ own experiences in investigating personal exposures to VOCs in numerous field studies.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

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

Relevant Websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/NHANES99_00.htm

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

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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