Citation:

VESPER, S. J. SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ASTHMA CONTROLLED BY MODIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT. Presented at 2006 EPA Science Forum, Washington, DC, May 16 - 18, 2006.

Impact/Purpose:

1. Develop and publish a standard method or guidance document for QPCR analysis of microorganisms in environmental samples (air and water filtrates and dust).a standard method or guidance document for QPCR analysis of microorganisms in environmental samples (air and water filtrates and dust). Publication will involve a consensus standards organization. 2. Use QPCR methods to monitor childhood exposures to mold as a part of field studies, in order to establish whether a relationship exists between molds encountered in indoor environments and asthma-related health problems.

Description:

In a just completed five year study in Cleveland area water-damaged homes of asthmatics, EPA ORD researchers, in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University Medical School, established that specific molds were statistically more common in water-damaged homes. When the molds were removed from these homes, the children had a significant decrease in asthma symptoms and symptom days. The result was a statistically significant 10-fold reduction in the use of medical interventions, i.e. either emergency room visits or hospital admissions, for children living in these homes.

In a just completed study in Cincinnati, the relationship between mold concentrations and the development of wheeze and/ or rhinitis in infants was tested. To measure exposure risk, EPA scientists developed the EPA relative moldiness index) or ERMI) based on the measurement of the concentration of 36 species of molds in floor dust samples by using EPA's patented "Mold Technology". The ERMI) values were used to accurately predict the risk for infants developing respiratory illness.

By applying these finds and techniques, we should be able to reduce the asthma burden in the US, reduce the use of medical care and save lives.

Record Details: