Recorded presentation

S. Saksena, The East-West Center, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 94848, 808-944-7111, saksenas@eastwestcenter.org

Formally, human exposure is defined as the contact between a pollutant and a target portion(s) of the body. Expressed less formally air pollution exposure assessment would imply estimating how much of a pollutant is actually inhaled, for example in the context of respiratory ailments, and how many people are exposed. Earlier efforts at characterizing indoor environments measured concentration of important pollutants but stopped short of estimating true exposures, as defined above. It is also becoming clear that only by considering activity patterns can we distinguish between the exposures of different demographic groups. The presentation will summarize the results of key exposure studies in this field. A more detailed summary will be provided of a completed exposure study of respirable particulates and carbon monoxide done by the author and his collaborators in urban slums in New Delhi and Manila. Results of an on-going pilot study of exposure in rural Philippines will also be discussed, especially in the context of sustainable interventions. Finally, the paper will discuss refinements needed in methodologies and capacity building issues.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of the presentation, participants will know the state-of-the-art of exposure assessment for indoor air pollution in developing countries and to identify critical knowledge gaps and capacity building needs.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation