User-Centred Design of a Final Results Report for Participants in Multi-Sensor Personal Air Pollution Exposure Monitoring Campaigns.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Robinson JA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8656880 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundShort-term mobile monitoring campaigns to estimate long-term air pollution levels are becoming increasingly common. Still, many campaigns have not conducted temporally-balanced sampling, and few have looked at the implications of such study designs for epidemiologic exposure assessment.ObjectiveWe carried out a simulation study using fixed-site air quality monitors to better understand how different short-term monitoring designs impact the resulting exposure surfaces.MethodsWe used Monte Carlo resampling to simulate three archetypal short-term monitoring sampling designs using oxides of nitrogen (NOx) monitoring data from 69 regulatory sites in California: a year-around Balanced Design that sampled during all seasons of the year, days of the week, and all or various hours of the day; a temporally reduced Rush Hours Design; and a temporally reduced Business Hours Design. We evaluated the performance of each design's land use regression prediction model.ResultsThe Balanced Design consistently yielded the most accurate annual averages; while the reduced Rush Hours and Business Hours Designs generally produced more biased results.SignificanceA temporally-balanced sampling design is crucial for short-term campaigns such as mobile monitoring aiming to assess long-term exposure in epidemiologic cohorts.Impact statementShort-term monitoring campaigns to assess long-term air pollution trends are increasingly common, though they rarely conduct temporally balanced sampling. We show that this approach produces biased annual average exposure estimates that can be improved by collecting temporally-balanced samples.
| S-EPMC9971335 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Indoor air quality monitoring as it relates to the domestic setting is an integral part of human exposure monitoring and health risk assessment. Hence there is a great need for easy to use, fast and economical indoor air quality sensors to monitor the volatile organic compound composition of the air which is known to be significantly perturbed by the various source emissions from activities in the home. To meet this need, paper-based colorimetric sensor arrays were deployed as volatile organic compound detectors in a field study aiming to understand which activities elicit responses from these sensor arrays in household settings. The sensor array itself is composed of pH indicators and aniline dyes that enable molecular recognition of carboxylic acids, amines and carbonyl-containing compounds. The sensor arrays were initially deployed in different rooms in a single household having different occupant activity types and levels. Sensor responses were shown to differ for different room settings on the basis of occupancy levels and the nature of the room emission sources. Sensor responses relating to specific activities such as cooking, cleaning, office work, etc were noted in the temporal response. Subsequently, the colorimetric sensor arrays were deployed in a broader study across 9 different households and, using multivariate analysis, the sensor responses were shown to correlate strongly with household occupant activity and year of house build. Overall, this study demonstrates the significant potential for this type of simple approach to indoor air pollution monitoring in residential environments.
| S-EPMC8494322 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: Green spaces are reported to improve health status, including beneficial effects on pregnancy outcomes. Despite the suggestions of air pollution-related health benefits of green spaces, there is no available evidence on the impact of greenness on personal exposure to air pollution. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between surrounding greenness and personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women and to explore the potential mechanisms, if any, behind this association. METHODS: In total, 65 rounds of sampling were carried out for 54 pregnant women who resided in Barcelona during 2008-2009. Each round consisted of a 2-day measurement of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ? 2.5 ?m (PM?.?) and a 1-week measurement of nitric oxides collected simultaneously at both the personal and microenvironmental levels. The study participants were also asked to fill out a time-microenvironment-activity diary during the sampling period. We used satellite retrievals to determine the surrounding greenness as the average of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in a buffer of 100 m around each maternal residential address. We estimated the impact of surrounding greenness on personal exposure levels, home-outdoor and home-indoor pollutant levels, and maternal time-activity. RESULTS: Higher residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower personal, home-indoor, and home-outdoor PM?.? levels, and more time spent at home-outdoor. CONCLUSIONS: We found lower levels of personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women residing in greener areas. This finding may be partly explained by lower home-indoor pollutant levels and more time spent in less polluted home-outdoor environment by pregnant women in greener areas.
| S-EPMC3440116 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundExposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, and thus, monitoring personal exposure to PM2.5 may aid in disease self-management. Low-cost, portable air pollution sensors offer a convenient way to measure personal pollution exposure directly and may improve personalized monitoring compared with traditional methods that rely on stationary monitoring stations. We aimed to understand whether adults with asthma would be willing to use personal sensors to monitor their exposure to air pollution and to assess the feasibility of using sensors to measure real-time PM2.5 exposure.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 adults with asthma to understand their willingness to use a personal pollution sensor and their privacy preferences with regard to sensor data. Student research assistants used HabitatMap AirBeam devices to take PM2.5 measurements at 1-s intervals while walking in Philadelphia neighborhoods in May-August 2018. AirBeam PM2.5 measurements were compared to concurrent measurements taken by three nearby regulatory monitors.ResultsAll interview participants stated that they would use a personal air pollution sensor, though the consensus was that devices should be small (watch- or palm-sized) and light. Patients were generally unconcerned about privacy or sharing their GPS location, with only two stating they would not share their GPS location under any circumstances. PM2.5 measurements were taken using AirBeam sensors on 34 walks that extended through five Philadelphia neighborhoods. The range of sensor PM2.5 measurements was 0.6-97.6 μg/mL (mean 6.8 μg/mL), compared to 0-22.6 μg/mL (mean 9.0 μg/mL) measured by nearby regulatory monitors. Compared to stationary measurements, which were only available as 1-h integrated averages at discrete monitoring sites, sensor measurements permitted characterization of fine-scale fluctuations in PM2.5 levels over time and space.ConclusionsPatients were generally interested in using sensors to monitor their personal exposure to PM2.5 and willing to share personal sensor data with health care providers and researchers. Compared to traditional methods of personal exposure assessment, sensors captured personalized air quality information at higher spatiotemporal resolution. Improvements to currently available sensors, including more reliable Bluetooth connectivity, increased portability, and longer battery life would facilitate their use in a general patient population.
| S-EPMC8420032 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR, also called the dioxin receptor) plays crucial roles in toxicologic responses of animals to environmental pollutants, especially to halogenated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. To achieve direct, continuous risk assessment of air pollution using biological systems, we generated transgenic sensor mice that produce secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) under the control of AhR.MethodsTo characterize responses of the mice to AhR agonists, sensor mice were orally administered 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), or beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), and serum levels of SEAP were evaluated. To monitor air pollution caused by cigarette smoke, we placed the mice each day in an experimental smoking room, and evaluated activity of serum SEAP for up to 4 days. Activation of AhR in individual organs was also examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of SEAP.ResultsIn response to oral exposure to TCDD, sensor mice exhibited dramatic and sustained activation of AhR. The mice also responded sensitively to 3MC, B[a]P, and BNF. Activation of AhR was dose dependent, and the liver was identified as the main responding organ. After exposure to the smoking environment, sensor mice consistently exhibited transient, reversible activation of AhR. RT-PCR analysis of SEAP revealed that activation of AhR occurred predominantly in the lung.ConclusionWe are the first laboratory to demonstrate successfully direct, comprehensive monitoring of air pollution using genetically engineered mammals. The established system would be useful for real risk assessment of halogenated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air, especially in smoking environments.
| S-EPMC2265056 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The World Health Organization has estimated that air pollution is a major threat to health, causing approximately nine million premature deaths every year. Each individual has, over their lifetime, a unique exposure to air pollution through their habits, working and living conditions. Medical research requires dedicated tools to assess and understand individual exposure to air pollution in view of investigating its health effects. This paper presents portable sensors produced by the Canarin Project that provides accessible, real time personal exposure data to particulate matter. Our primary results demonstrate the use of portable sensors for the assessment of personal exposure to the different micro-environments attended by individuals, and for inspecting the short-term effects of air pollution through the example of sleep apnea. These findings underscore the necessity of obtaining contextual data in determining environmental exposure and give perspectives for the future of air pollution sensors dedicated to medical research.
| S-EPMC7962460 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPersonal and indoor air pollution monitors represent two ways to assess acute air pollution exposures; however, few reproductive epidemiology studies have incorporated these tools.ObjectiveTo provide an overview of the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when measuring acute exposure to air pollution in two ongoing reproductive epidemiology studies.MethodsThe Air Pollution, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and Reproductive Outcomes (AIR) Study recruits women undergoing IVF to wear a personal particulate matter (PM) air pollution monitor (AirBeam2©) for the 72-hour period following the start of controlled ovarian stimulation. The Reproductive Effects of Chemicals and Air Pollutants (RECAP) Study recruits men across the United States to place an air pollution monitor (emmET) in their home for 3 months, use a smartphone application, and provide a semen sample. We highlight the key issues identified in implementing exposure assessment for both studies.ResultsThe main advantages of using the AirBeam2© personal monitor are as follows: (a) the low cost, (b) the ability to collect multiple size fractions of PM data every second, (c) the portability, (d) its capability to track GPS location, and (e) the ability for the participant to observe their real-time exposure information. The limited battery life, incompatibility with iOS-based smartphones, and frequent connection issues that arise between the AirBeam2© and smartphone are the main disadvantages. The main advantages of the emmET are the ability to measure multiple air pollutants at a high level of accuracy, collect data for a long period of time without burdening the participant, and ship monitors to participants around the country without the need for in-person set-up by trained technicians; however, the monitor only measures the indoor home environment.ConclusionsNovel methods can be utilised to characterise short-term air pollution exposure in reproductive epidemiology studies and represent an exciting area for future research.
| S-EPMC7145751 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Air pollution intake represents the amount of pollution inhaled into the body and may be calculated by multiplying an individual's ventilation rate with the concentration of pollutant present in their breathing zone. Ventilation rate is difficult to measure directly, and methods for estimating ventilation rate (and intake) are lacking. Therefore, the goal of this work was to examine how well linear models using heart rate and other basic physiologic data can predict personal ventilation rate. We measured personal ventilation and heart rate among a panel of subjects (n?=?36) while they conducted a series of specified routine tasks of varying exertion levels. From these data, 136 candidate models were identified using a series of variable transformation and selection algorithms. A second "free?living" validation study (n?=?26) served as an independent validation dataset for these candidate models. The top?performing model, which included heart rate (Hr), resting heart rate (Hrest), age, sex, and hip circumference and interactions between sex with Hr, Hrest, age, and hip predicted ventilation rate (Ve) to within 11% and 33% for moderate (Ve?=?45?L/min) and low (Ve?=?15?L/min) intensity activities, respectively, based on the validation study. Many of the promising candidate models performed substantially worse under independent validation. Our results indicate that while measures of air pollution exposure and intake are highly correlated within tasks for a given individual, this correlation decreases substantially across tasks (i.e., as individuals go about a series of typical daily activities). This discordance between exposure and intake may influence exposure?response estimates in epidemiological studies. New air pollution studies should consider the trade?offs between the predictive ability of intake models and the error potentially introduced by not accounting for ventilation rate.
| S-EPMC6401349 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Mobile phones have a large spectrum of applications, aiding in risk prevention and improving health and wellbeing of their owners. So far, however, they have not been used for direct assessment of personal exposure to air pollution. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the first, and the only available, mobile phone-BROAD Life-equipped with air pollution sensors (PM2.5 and VOC), to answer the question whether this technology is a viable option in the quest of reducing the burden of disease to air pollution. We tested its performance, applicability and suitability for the purpose by subjecting it to varied concentrations of different types of aerosol particles (cigarette smoke, petrol exhaust and concrete dust) and formaldehyde under controlled laboratory conditions, as well as to ambient particles during field measurements. Six reference instruments were used in the study: AEROTRAK Optical Particle Counter (OPC model number 9306), DustTrak, Aerodynamic Particle Counter (APS), Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) and Formaldehyde Analyser. Overall, we found that the phone's response was linear at higher particle number concentrations in the chamber, above 5 and 10 ?g m-3, for combustion and concrete dust particles, respectively, and for higher formaldehyde concentrations, making it potentially suitable for applications in polluted environments. At lower ambient concentrations of particles around 10 ug m-3 and 20 ?g m-3 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, the phone's response was below its noise level, suggesting that it is not suitable for ambient monitoring under relatively clean urban conditions. This mobile phone has a number of limitations that may hinder its use in personal exposure and for continuous monitoring. Despite these limitations, it may be used for comparative assessments, for example when comparing outcomes of intervention measures or local impacts of air pollution sources. It should be kept in mind, however, that a mobile phone measuring air quality alone cannot as such 'reduce the burden of disease to air pollution, as knowing ambient concentrations is only one of the building block in this quest. As long as individuals cannot avoid exposure e.g. in urban areas, knowing concentrations is not sufficient to reduce potential adverse effects. Yet, there are many situations and microenvironments, which individuals could avoid knowing the concentrations and also being aware of the risk caused by exposure to them. This includes for example to proximity to vehicle emissions, either for social purposes (e.g. street cafes) or exercising (e.g. walking or jogging along busy roads)or indoor environments affected by combustion emissions (smoking, candle burning, open fire).
| S-EPMC5825064 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:Air pollution is a leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies mostly relied on concentrations at residence, which might not represent personal exposure. Personal air pollution exposure has a greater variability compared with levels of ambient air pollution, facilitating evaluation of exposure-response functions and vascular pathophysiology. We aimed to evaluate the association between predicted annual personal exposure to PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) and three vascular damage markers in peri-urban South India. METHODS:We analyzed the third wave of the APCAPS cohort (2010-2012), which recruited participants from 28 villages. We used predicted personal exposure to PM2.5 and BC derived from 610 participant-days of 24 h average gravimetric PM2.5 and BC measurements and predictors related to usual time-activity. Outcomes included carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and augmentation index (AIx). We fit linear mixed models, adjusting for potential confounders and accounting for the clustered data structure. We evaluated nonlinear associations using generalized additive mixed models. RESULTS:Of the 3017 participants (mean age 38 years), 1453 (48%) were women. The average PM2.5 exposure was 51 µg/m3 (range 13-85) for men, and 61 µg/m3 (range 40-120) for women, while the average BC was 4 µg/m3 (range 3-7) for men and 8 µg/m3 (range 3-22) for women. A 10 ?g/m3 increase of PM2.5 was positively associated with CIMT (0.026 mm, 95% CI 0.014, 0.037), cf-PWV (0.069 m/s, 95% CI 0.008, 0.131) and AIx (0.8%, 95% CI 0.3, 1.3) among men. The exposure-response function for PM2.5 and AIx among men showed non-linearity, particularly within the exposure range dominated by tobacco smoking and occupational exposures. Both PM2.5 and BC were positively associated with AIx among women (0.6%, 95% CI 0.2, 1.0, per 10 ?g/m3 PM2.5; 0.5%, 95% CI 0.1, 0.8, per 2 ?g/m3 BC). CONCLUSIONS:Personal exposure to particulate matter was associated with vascular damage in a peri-urban population in South India. Personal exposure to particulate matter appears to have gender-specific effects on the type of vascular damage, potentially reflecting differences in sources of personal exposure by gender.
| S-EPMC7267772 | biostudies-literature