Geographic Exposure Modeling: A Valuable Extension of Geographic Information Systems for Use in Environmental Epidemiology

Abstract

Geographic modeling of individual exposures using air pollution modeling techniques can help in both the design of environmental epidemiologic studies and in the assignment of measures that delineate regions that receive the highest exposure in space and time. Geographic modeling can help in the interpretation of environmental sampling data associated with airborne concentration or deposition, and can act as a sophisticated interpolator for such data, allowing values to be assigned to locations between points where the data have actually been collected. Recent advances allow for quantification of the uncertainty in a geographic model and the resulting impact on estimates of association, variability, and study power. In this paper we present the terminology and methodology of geographic modeling, describe applications to date in the field of epidemiology, and evaluate the potential of this relatively new tool. -Environ Health Perspect 1 07(Suppl 1): 181-190 (1999). http.//ehpnetl.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/Suppl-1/181-190beyea! abstract.html

Exposure to traffic emissions throughout life and risk of breast cancer: the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) study

“…Another study used monitored benzene data as a marker of traffic exposure [42]. Although all these methods provide some indication of total traffic emissions, with geographic modeling to incorporate GIS data, it is possible to model quantitative individual exposure estimates [43].…”

Environmental pollutants and breast cancer.

“…The study developed a geographic information system (GIS), a computer-mapping database, designed first to generate hypotheses and conduct ecologic analyses and later to assess exposures to wide-area pesticide use and drinking water contamination at individual addresses of 2,100 women in a case-control study . GIS is also being used in exposure reconstruction in several other epidemiologic studies (Beyea and Hatch 1999;Lynberg et al 2001;Stellman et al 2003;Ward et al 2000 Inventory (http://www.epa.gov/tri), which documents point sources of pollutants, and records generated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) for every public drinking water supply (Caldwell et al 1998). Although some exposure data are available nationally, developing additional GIS exposure data is often more practical in a geographically limited area.…”

Residential environmental exposures and other characteristics associated with detectable PAH-DNA adducts in peripheral mononuclear cells in a population-based sample of adult females

“…Along with the current ambient BaP level estimate (log-transformed), additional factors present in the full model included all variables considered in Model A. The estimation of individual PAH exposure at the current residence uses a general geographic extension modeling method based on traffic patterns (Beyea and Hatch, 1999;Beyea et al, 2002) that was applied to subjects whose residential addresses could be geocoded to the street level. There were 145 women with missing values for the resulting ambient BaP estimate.…”