Assessing exposure to outdoor air pollution for epidemiological studies: Model-based and personal sampling strategies

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have found air pollution to be causally linked to respiratory health including the exacerbation and development of childhood asthma. Accurately characterizing exposure is paramount in these studies to ensure valid estimates of health effects. Here, we provide a brief overview of the evolution of air pollution exposure assessment ranging from the use of ground-based, single-site air monitoring stations for population-level estimates to recent advances in spatiotemporal models, which use advanced machine learning algorithms and satellite-based data to accurately estimate individual-level daily exposures at high spatial resolutions. In addition, we review recent advances in sensor technology that enable the use of personal monitoring in epidemiologic studies, long-considered the ''holy grail'' of air pollution exposure assessment. Finally, we highlight key advantages and uses of each approach including the generalizability and public health relevance of air pollution models and the accuracy of personal monitors that are useful to guide personalized prevention strategies. Investigators and clinicians interested in the effects of air pollution on allergic disease and asthma should carefully consider the pros and cons of each approach to guide their application in research and practice.

Outdoor Air Pollution and Brain Structure and Function From Across Childhood to Young Adulthood: A Methodological Review of Brain MRI Studies

“…In addition, the exposure methods of the previous studies varied from personal monitoring, stationary monitoring, and LUR prediction modeling. Advantages and disadvantages of various types of exposure assessments for outdoor air pollution exposure, including LUR, urinary biomarkers, and personal monitoring sensors, have been reported in detail by recently focused reviews (56, 57). Detailed critiques of these approaches were beyond the scope of this review, but we note that the appropriate choice of exposure assessment methods depends on both the study design and research questions.…”

“…For studies built on ongoing or newly launched cohorts, it will be desirable to collect information on individual-level behaviors of the child, such as the amount of time and patterns of activities for playing outdoors or time spent in other microenvironments (e.g., in vehicles; in classrooms), as such data may be used to determine the exposure sources, refine the specific characteristics of exposure, and reduce the exposure measurement error. On the other hand, although personal sampling allows for the most complete assessment of personal exposure across various microenvironments, technical limitations, such as participant compliance and burden have made this method more difficult for large scaled, population-based studies (57). For these same reasons, personal sampling is usually limited to a very brief period of time (i.e., 24 or 48 h), leading to a rather crude estimate of possible exposure to try and associate with neural processes of brain development that occur over months and years when captured with MRI.…”

New Approach Methods to Evaluate Health Risks of Air Pollutants: Critical Design Considerations for In Vitro Exposure Testing

“…These historical examples, among others, laid the foundation for the current breadth of epidemiological research supporting the role of air pollution exposures in human health and disease. Epidemiological investigations in the field of air pollution, to date, have been conducted using various study designs, study cohorts, climate conditions, and air pollutant categories, and have been previously reviewed [16][17][18][19].…”

Comparing Airborne Particulate Matter Intake Dose Assessment Models Using Low-Cost Portable Sensor Data

“…Application of low-cost air quality (AQ) sensors is on the rise and is being used to determine air pollution in cities [1][2][3][4], monitoring of indoor AQ [5][6][7], and for exposure assessment [8][9][10]. Traditionally exposure studies use data from monitoring stations, questionnaires, or biomarkers [11], and more recently land-use regression models [12,13] and other modelling techniques [14], while the most sought-after method is measuring intake dose on a personal level [15]. To this end, low-cost sensors that have become smaller and more energy-efficient, and now enable subjects to carry these devices with them, can significantly improve the temporal and spatial resolution of information needed [16].…”