Grantee Research Project Results

A Multi-City Time-Series Study of Pollutant Mixtures and Acute Morbidity

EPA Grant Number: R834799C004
Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R834799
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Vanderbilt Pittsburgh Resource for Organotypic Models for Predictive Toxicology
Center Director: Hutson, Michael Shane
Title: A Multi-City Time-Series Study of Pollutant Mixtures and Acute Morbidity
Investigators: Sarnat, Stefanie Ebelt , Winquist, Andrea , Russell, Armistead G. , Talbott, Evelynn , Mulholland, James , Darrow, Lyndsey , Klein, Mitchel , Tolbert, Paige , Bilonick, Richard
Institution: Emory University , Georgia Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2016
RFA: Clean Air Research Centers (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Air

Objective:

Although associations between ambient air pollution and acute cardiorespiratory outcomes have been observed in numerous studies, questions remain about the degree to which these findings are generalizable between locations and whether the observed health effects are due to the individual pollutants measured or to pollutants acting in combination with other pollutants. We propose to conduct a multi-city time-series study to clarify the impacts of air quality on acute cardiorespiratory morbidity in five US cities (Atlanta, GA; St. Louis, MOIL; Dallas, TX; Birmingham, AL; and Pittsburgh, PA) using novel mixture characterization (MC) metrics. Our overarching hypothesis is that factors related to air pollution mixtures, seasonality and climate, concentration-response functions, exposure measurement error, and population susceptibility and vulnerability can help explain apparent between-city heterogeneity in short-term associations between air quality measures and cardiorespiratory emergency department visits and hospital admissions.

Approach:

Individual-level morbidity data for each city will be acquired from existing in-house databases and Limited new collection under the current proposal, resulting in 6.5 to 17 years of data for each outcome type across the cities. Rich air quality databases will be acquired through several sources, and will include unusually extensive multi-year daily speciated particle data that will contribute to the development of novel mixtures characterizations. The MC metrics of specific interest for this project include: (1) population-weighted averages and spatially- resolved concentrations; (2) single-species source tracers; (3) multiphase pollutant source apportionment outputs; (4) factor analysis outputs; and (5) modeled reactive oxygen species. These pollutant mixture characterizations will be assessed in relation to acute cardiorespiratory outcomes.

Expected Results:

Results from this project will advance our understanding of the specific sources, attributes and constituents of the ambient air pollutant mix that impact cardiorespiratory morbidities at two levels of disease severity. By exploring possible explanations for the heterogeneity in observed health associations across cities [addressing Research Question 1 (RQ 1) of the Request for Applications], we seek to elucidate common underlying relationships. In the process, we will identify susceptible and vulnerable subpopulations (RQ 3), describe the shape of concentration-response curves (RQ 4), assess the impacts of exposure measurement error, and identify seasonal and meteorological differences in observed associations. By examining the impacts of single pollutants in a multi-pollutant context and applying novel characterizations of pollutant mixtures (addressing RQ 5), results of this project will help inform the development of multi-pollutant management approaches for the protection of human health.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 101 publications for this subproject | View all 338 publications for this center

Journal Articles:

Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 42 journal articles for this subproject | View all 135 journal articles for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

ambient air, health effects, sensitive populations, dose-response, cumulative effects, epidemiology, exposure, air quality modeling, PM_2.5, organics, elemental carbon, metals, oxidants, sulfates, source characterization, Scientific Discipline, Health, Health Risk Assessment, Risk Assessments, Environmental Monitoring, Biochemistry, children's health, particulate matter, ambient air monitoring, morbidity, climate change, air pollution, airshed modeling, ambient particle health effects, susceptibility, human health risk

Progress and Final Reports:

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R834799 Vanderbilt Pittsburgh Resource for Organotypic Models for Predictive Toxicology

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R834799C001 Development and Deployment of an Instrumentation Suite for Comprehensive Air Quality Characterization Including Aerosol ROS
R834799C002 Examining In-Vehicle Pollution and Oxidative Stress in a Cohort of Daily Commuters
R834799C003 Novel Estimates of Pollutant Mixtures and Pediatric Health in Two Birth Cohorts
R834799C004 A Multi-City Time-Series Study of Pollutant Mixtures and Acute Morbidity

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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.