Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114688

Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD¹, Wayne R. Thomann, Dr PH², Brack W. Hale, PhD¹, Matthew Stiegel¹, Jeffrey A. Davis¹, and M. Alicia Overstreet Galeano¹. (1) Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, 919-613-8058, brack.hale@duke.edu, (2) Office of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Duke Univeristy Medical Center, PO Box 3914 Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710

Children today spend an estimated 90% of their time indoors; as such, the home environment plays a crucial role in children's environmental health. Specific subpopulations, such as minorities, poor families, and families living in urban environments, may face elevated exposures to allergens and asthma triggers. The Children's Environmental Health Initiative (CEHI) at Duke University is especially interested in how various home health risks shape children's health outcomes. CEHI has collected environmental samples in over 1000 homes in Central and Eastern North Carolina, including a composite indoor bulk dust sample and bioaerosol samples taken in both the crawlspace and inside the inhabited part of the home. Initial findings indicate a high proportion of homes with elevated dust mite and roach allergen, as well as indoor mold, levels. The substantial variation in allergen and asthma trigger levels is characterized by systematic geographic variation. As one of the few field studies to collect both bulk dust and bioaerosol environmental samples, our analysis provides unique insights into joint exposures to two critical classes of respiratory irritants in the home environment.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Discuss the relationship between presence of bulk dust and bioaerosol allergens and asthma triggers.
• 2.Analyze how GIS technology can improve understanding of exposure to allergens and asthma triggers in the home environment.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.