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The EPA does all it can to ensure that the identity of survey participants cannot be disclosed. All direct identifiers, as well as any characteristics that might lead to identifications, are omitted from the data. Any intentional identification or disclosure of a person or establishment violates the assurances of confidentiality given to the providers of the information. Therefore, users will (1) use the data in this study for statistical reporting and analysis only; (2) make no use of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently and will advise the HEDS Administrator of any such discovery; (3) will not link this data with individually identifiable data from other EPA or non-EPA data.

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Description:

This data set includes analytical results for measurements of metals in 1,906 dust samples. Dust samples were collected to assess potential residential sources of dermal and inhalation exposures and to examine relationships between analyte levels in dust and in personal and biomarker samples. Samples of indoor dust and window sill dust in the participant's primary living area were collected using two wipe methods: Lioy-Wainman-Weisel (LWW) wipe sampler, and Wet Wipe Towelette (WWT). Separate samples were collected at each location, one for analysis of lead, cadmium, and chromium, and one for analysis of arsenic. Deposition samples of dust were collected in the participant's home by two methods: a settling plate on an exposed shelf, and a small pre-weighed section of carpet (mat). After weighing, the metals were acid extracted and digested. Samples were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma/Mass Spectrometer (ICP/MS) for lead, cadmium, and chromium; and by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HGAFS) for arsenic. Keywords: metals; dust.

The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) is a federal interagency research effort coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD). Phase I consists of demonstration/scoping studies using probability-based sampling designs. The Region 5 study was conducted in EPA's Region 5 (Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota), and included personal exposure, residential concentration, and biomarker measurements of metals and VOCs. The study was conducted by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). The scope and design of the study are detailed in the following article: E. Pellizzari et al., Population-Based Exposure Measurements in EPA Region 5: A Phase I Field Study in Support of the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1995, pp. 327-358.

NOTE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Research and Development (ORD), partially funded and collaborated in the research described here. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by EPA for use.

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These data are the result of a probability-based sampling design specific to the population under study. Thus the data may or may not be representative of subsets of this study's population or of other populations. The study was designed to test certain hypotheses, and this may limit its applicability for other purposes. When using these data it is important to consider the percentage of non-responses or non-detects in the data as an indicator of its usefulness for other purposes. No liability is accepted by the U.S. EPA for any errors or omissions in the results included in the data sets, associated information, and/or documentation.

Based on the output format selected by the user and the software into which the data set is imported, users may notice that measurements and sampling weights are zero-padded to the right of non-zero decimal digits. These zeroes are purely a function of the formatting process and the software's acceptance of that format and should not be construed to represent significant digits in the value. Measurement values are provided with four significant digits; sampling weights are provided with three decimal digits.