Two collaborative studies have been conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory to determine personal exposures and physiological responses to particulate matter (PM) of elderly persons living in a retirement facility in Fresno, CA. Measurements of PM and other criteria air pollutants were made inside selected individual residences within the retirement facility and at a central outdoor site on the premises. In addition, personal PM exposure monitoring was conducted for a subset of the participants, and ambient PM monitoring data were available for comparison from the NERL PM research monitoring platform in central Fresno. Both a winter (February 1-28, 1999) and a spring (April 19-May 16, 1999) study were completed so that seasonal effects could be IMPLICATIONS The Fresno PM exposure studies demonstrate the utility of measuring personal exposures and relevant stationary concentrations (at least residential, outdoor, and community) in conjunction with an epidemiology study. Longitudinal and seasonal effects were found to be important factors to consider in study design (the studies were conducted for a duration of 1 month in each of 2 seasons). These studies provide data to assist the EPA and other researchers in identifying potentially important exposure variables, as well as use in exposure analysis, modeling, and risk assessment activities.evaluated. During the spring study, a more robust personal exposure component was added, as well as a more detailed evaluation of physical factors, such as airexchange rate, that are known to influence the penetration of particles into the indoor environment. In this paper, comparisons are made among measured personal PM exposures and PM mass concentrations measured at the NERL Fresno Platform site, outside on the premises of the retirement facility, and inside selected residential apartments at the facility during the two 28-day study periods. The arithmetic daily mean personal PM 2.5 exposure during the winter study period was 13.3 µg/m 3 , compared with 9.7, 20.5, and 21.7 µg/m 3 for daily mean overall apartment, outdoor, and ambient (i.e., platform) concentrations, respectively. The daily mean personal PM 2.5 exposure during the spring study period was 11.1 µg/m 3 , compared with 8.0, 10.1, and 8.6 µg/m 3 for the daily mean apartment, outdoor, and ambient concentrations, respectively.
A questionnaire on health symptoms, workplace conditions, and perceived indoor air quality was administered to 3948 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC in the winter of 1989. The main goal was to determine the personal or workplace characteristics associated with health symptoms. A principal components analysis of 32 health symptoms identified 12 health factors. Each factor was generally associated with a particular body system (eyes, nose, throat, chest, central nervous system, etc.). The 12 health factors were regressed linearly on the 50‐100 personal, workplace, and spatial characteristics identified from the questionnaire and building blueprints. Significant variables (p < 0.01) were included in a second logistic regression to determine a final model. Eleven variables were associated with multiple health factors. The main workplace variables were dust and glare. Personal characteristics of importance were mold allergies and sensitivity to chemicals. Among women, lack of a college degree was an important factor. Air quality factors of importance included hot stuffy air and dry air: The odor of paint and other chemicals, and the odor of cosmetics were also associated with four or more of the health factors. Two measures of stress – heavy workload and conflicting demands – were also associated with several health factors.
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