Grantee Research Project Results
Indoor Environmental Quality: Assessing and Mitigating the Impact of Exposure to Multiple Indoor Contaminants on Human Health
EPA Grant Number: R828605Center: Indoor Environmental Quality: Assessing and Mitigating the Impact of Exposure to Multiple Indoor Contaminants on Human Health
Center Director: Abraham, Jerrold L.
Title: Indoor Environmental Quality: Assessing and Mitigating the Impact of Exposure to Multiple Indoor Contaminants on Human Health
Investigators: Abraham, Jerrold L. , Zhang, Jensen , Anagnost, Susan
Institution: The State University of New York , Syracuse University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: November 9, 2000 through November 8, 2004
Project Amount: $2,338,800
RFA: Targeted Research Center (2001) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Targeted Research
Objective:
The objective of this research project was to examine the relationship between multiple exposure hazards in indoor environments and pediatric asthma. The project also provided resources for the formation of the New York Indoor Environmental Quality (NYIEQ) Center as a not-for-profit corporate/academic research corporation.
Phase I of the project was the Collection of Multiple Pollutants from Indoor and Laboratory Evaluated Sources (COMPILES), and was composed of the following interrelated projects: Project 1A—Assessment of Urban Dwellings for Indoor Toxics (AUDIT) conducted by State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University; Project 1B—Development of Indoor Sources Sampling and Environmental Control Technologies (DISSECT) conducted by Syracuse University (SU); Project 1C—AUDIT VOC, a field and analytical laboratory study to identify specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in AUDIT study homes to establish links between indoor environmental quality and health outcomes, conducted by SU; and Project 1D—ACCURATE, a field and laboratory study, conducted by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, to identify specific bioaerosols present in study homes that could help establish links between asthma and environmental conditions.
One of the principal objectives of the overall project included the development of an interdisciplinary, interinstitutional regional group capable of state-of-the-art research and development in Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Human Health and Performance. The initial projects—AUDIT, AUDIT-VOC, ACCURATE, and DISSECT—demonstrate the capability to organize and successfully carry out complex research and development (R&D) projects, leading to further expansion of the regional expertise and additional R&D projects. Fostering the regional collaborations in the IEQ field also is a major goal of the NYIEQ Center.
The objectives of the AUDIT project included collecting extensive data on indoor agents capable of causing or exacerbating asthma and examining the health during the first year of life of a birth cohort of infants (at high risk for subsequent development of asthma) born to asthmatic mothers in inner-city Syracuse. Analysis of health outcomes, such as wheezing, will identify major risk factors and allow determination of which ones are most amenable for preventive intervention. The AUDIT-VOC and ACCURATE projects focused on collecting home-specific data and improving analytical methodology for VOCs and bioaerosols. The DISSECT project developed a unique testing chamber for studying VOCs and pollutant dynamics in a controlled laboratory setting.
Supplemental Keywords:
asthma, wheeze, VOCs, indoor air, molds, Syracuse, endotoxins, allergens, environmental tobacco smoke, particulate matter,
Progress 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.