Grantee Research Project Results
2008 Progress Report: The Detroit Asthma Morbidity, Air Quality and Traffic (DAMAT) Study
EPA Grant Number: R833628Title: The Detroit Asthma Morbidity, Air Quality and Traffic (DAMAT) Study
Investigators: Wahl, Robert L , Batterman, Stuart A. , Hultin, Mary Lee , Michalak, Anna , Mukherjee, Bhramar , Wasilevich, Elizabeth , Wirth, Julie , Dombkowski, Kevin , Cameron, Lorraine , Depa, Michael
Current Investigators: Wahl, Robert L , Batterman, Stuart A. , Wasilevich, Elizabeth , Hultin, Mary Lee , Dombkowski, Kevin , Mukherjee, Bhramar , Michalak, Anna
Institution: Michigan Department of Community Health , University of Michigan
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: September 30, 2007 through September 29, 2010 (Extended to September 29, 2011)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 30, 2007 through September 29,2010
Project Amount: $499,777
RFA: Development of Environmental Health Outcome Indicators (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category:
Objective:
Develop and evaluate a direct health indicator of pediatric asthma morbidity resulting from exposure to ambient air pollutants using an epidemiological approach that merges existing datasets and incorporates population susceptibility, exposure patterns, and other local conditions.
Progress Summary:
A comprehensive ambient air quality dataset was compiled for the study region and the primary study period (2004-2006). These data will be used to develop exposure indicators for use in the health models. Air quality data were obtained from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Michigan Air Sampling Network (MASN) and others, and include hourly and daily measurements at 4 air monitoring sites in the Detroit metropolitan area, 12 additional sites elsewhere in Michigan, and 9 additional sites in Ontario, Canada. It also includes surface meteorology.
We also obtained roadway and traffic data for the study region from Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). These data will be used to stratify the residence locations of the Medicaid claimants with respect to their proximity to major roads, an important source of air pollutant exposure. These data include traffic counts (annual average daily traffic [AADT] and commercial average daily traffic [CADT]) from permanent traffic recorders for the major roads; geographical information system (GIS) files describing a detailed road network; and results of a comprehensive traffic demand model (CDM) which provides flows on the network on over 20,000 roadway segments for four periods of the day and separates private and commercial vehicles. We are obtaining the 2006 data collected and consolidated by SEMCOG which contains all counts and interpolations for a three year period.
For a preliminary analysis of the geographic distribution of the cases, serial lists were prepared of those Detroit children having an asthma emergency department visit or hospitalization in 2004, 2005, and 2006. These were restricted to those children with continuous enrollment in Medicaid for eleven or more months during each year, with full Medicaid coverage and no other insurance. This analysis included an encrypted identification number for the child, the geographic coordinates of the child’s residence, and the number of claims that year for each child. Using the geographic coordinates for each child, we created maps of the case population, and test maps showing proximity to highways (as noted above).
Future Activities:
· Complete linkage of Medicaid and air quality (AQ) data. The linkage will be completed in early 2009. We have performed similar linkages and do not anticipate any problems. We will then analyze the relationship between daily fluctuations in pollutant concentrations and daily asthma-related urgent care use. Case-crossover Poisson regression models will be used.
· Acquire local and regional pollutant data. We will develop indicators for the urban increment by estimating background levels derived from measurements at outlying and upwind monitoring sites. These values will be subtracted from the measurements obtained for Detroit. We will then determine associations between the regional and urban increments of the air pollutants and asthma-urgent care use. This work will be completed by April 2009.
· Geographic information systems (GIS) analysis of proximity to roadways and industry. We will construct spatial maps of industrial and other pollutants using GIS, classify their potential impact on each child, and incorporate the data into models relating air pollutant exposure and daily asthma-related urgent care use. We will use GIS techniques for this analysis. This analysis will be completed by mid-2009.
· Case-control analysis. For the case-control analysis, we will complete the selection of controls (non-respiratory related events in the Medicaid data). The residence of each child making an asthma- related Medicaid claim (case) and a non-respiratory related Medicaid claim (control) will be classified according to exposure to local emission sources. We will determine the effects of local pollution sources on urgent care use for cases and for controls. We will then determine the probability of asthma-related morbidity in areas affected and not affected by local pollution sources. Multinomial logistic regression models will be used. This analysis will be completed by December 2009.
· Scenario and uncertainty analysis. Using the collected data, we will first construct 3 scenarios of contrasting future emissions. We will then estimate the air pollution impact of each scenario using the longitudinal models previously developed. We will evaluate the uncertainty in the indicators using both estimated error as cross-validation comparing results across each year. Finally we will analyze and compare indicators for spatial and temporal modes, including the effects of prediction uncertainty on both population and individual means. This analysis will be started at the end of Year 2 or beginning of Year 3 (approximately October 2009).
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 5 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
air, ambient air, ozone, exposure, risk, health effects, human health, sensitive populations, children, age, race, susceptibility, public policy, decision making, epidemiology, modeling, monitoring, analytical, Great Lakes, Midwest, Michigan, MI, EPA Region 5, transportation, industry
, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health, Air, HUMAN HEALTH, particulate matter, Health Risk Assessment, air toxics, Exposure, Epidemiology, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Risk Assessments, Health Effects, genetic susceptability, Biology, copollutant exposures, sensitive populations, atmospheric particulate matter, asthma, airway epithelial cells, cardiopulmonary responses, fine particles, PM 2.5, inhaled pollutants, acute cardiovascular effects, acute lung injury, stratospheric ozone, morbidity, air pollutants, motor vehicle emissions, automotive emissions, motor vehicle exhaust, air pollution, susceptible subpopulations, cardiac arrest, diesel exhaust, chronic health effects, lung inflammation, oxidant gas, particulate exposure, cardiopulmonary response, heart rate, human exposure, atmospheric aerosols, Acute health effects, inhaled, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, human susceptibility, cardiotoxicity, cardiopulmonary, mortality, concentrated particulate matter, air contaminant exposure, air quality, environmental hazard exposures, toxics, airborne urban contaminants, cardiovascular disease, acute exposure
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.