Grantee Research Project Results

2007 Progress Report: Impact of Exposure to Urban Air Toxics on Asthma Utilization for the Pediatric Medicaid Population in Dearborn, Michigan

EPA Grant Number: R828678C012
Subproject: this is subproject number 012 , 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: Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC)
Center Director: Beskid, Craig
Title: Impact of Exposure to Urban Air Toxics on Asthma Utilization for the Pediatric Medicaid Population in Dearborn, Michigan
Investigators: Wahl, Robert L
Institution: Division of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: January 2, 2001 through December 31, 2005 (Extended to December 31, 2008)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 2, 2006 through December 31, 2007
RFA: Targeted Research Center (2004) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Targeted Research

Objective:

The overall objective of this proposal is to assess the relationship between exposures to ambient levels of certain urban air toxics (UATs), as measured by outdoor air monitors, and utilization of urgent care facilities by children enrolled in Medicaid in Dearborn, Michigan.

Project Background:

This is an ongoing 2-year study under the NUATRC Small Grants Program. A Research Contract was signed between NUATRC and Michigan Department of Community Medicine on 29 December 2004-2006. The Investigators are collaborating with the University of Michigan on this project.

Preliminary Findings:

A total of 323 daily air toxics samples were collected at Dearborn, MI, including 122 pairs of replicate samples. Samples were analyzed by two laboratories for 71 carbonyls and volatile organic compounds.

The study population making pediatric Medicaid claims and living within 10 km of the Dearborn Michigan air monitor had 328 hospital admissions and 1,166 emergency department visits for asthma during the study period. The same population had 356 hospital admissions and 4,617 emergency department visits for respiratory problems. These data (along with injury as a control case) were used in Poisson models to associate daily counts with concentrations of toxic air pollutants and factor scores derived from receptor models (PMF). The models were adjusted for covariates including temperature, pressure, relative humidity, season, day of week, and co-pollutants.

Few studies have utilized these techniques to investigate relationships between air toxic exposures and asthma and respiratory illness, and more work is needed in the area. Preliminary analyses indicated that exposure to fuel combustion and gasoline exhaust and evaporated gasoline sources increased risks of ED visits for respiratory problems among children. The risks increased for subjects living closer to the air monitoring site. Unfortunately, the researchers were unable to conduct many of the analyses for hospital admissions and ED visits for asthma outcomes due to inadequate sample size.

Progress Summary:

In March 2007, Dr. Wahl submitted his draft final report. The report was then sent to the SAP subgroup. The SAP members noted that some of study goals were not completed, but felt that the study would provide valuable information on how monitoring data can be used for epidemiological investigations. The SAP indicated that no further work or analyses were needed, just some editing for clarification and to bring out the main elements of the study.

These comments were communicated to the PI, who agreed to submit a revised report by September 15, 2007. The report is still not complete. The PI has indicated that the revised draft has been written and is being reviewed by team members. This is taking longer than planned due to health issues and unexpected obligations. The PI expects to submit the revised draft by the beginning of February, 2008.

Future Activities:

If the SAP approves the next draft of the report, it will then undergo external peer review, and a final edit. We expect to publish the report by the end of April.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 4 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, HUMAN HEALTH, Aquatic Ecosystem, Aquatic Ecosystems & Estuarine Research, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, Risk Assessments, Biochemistry, Health Effects, Genetics, respiratory disease, asthma, urban environment, water quality, human exposure, particulate matter, morbidity, exposure, ozone, air pollution, airborne urban contaminants, environmental tobacco smoke, human health risk, airway disease

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R824834 Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC)

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.