222116 Use and impact of free-standing air filters placed in bedrooms of children with asthma in Detroit, Michigan: Community Action Against Asthma

Monday, November 8, 2010

Liuliu Du , School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
Stuart Batterman, PhD , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Edith Parker, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Christopher Godwin , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Jo-Yu Chin , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Ashley O'Toole, MPH, MSW , School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Thomas Robins , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Toby Lewis, MD , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
We report the results of indoor air quality monitoring of a community-academic partnership study designed to evaluate effects of air filters and air conditioners on asthma symptoms of children in Detroit, Michigan. Over 100 households, after initial home inspections, were randomized to one of three groups: a control group receiving only Community Health Worker (CHWs) home visits; the standard intervention group receiving a free-standing HEPA filter placed in the child's sleeping area and CHW visits; and the enhanced intervention group receiving the filter, the CHW visits, plus an air conditioner, which was designed to enhance filter performance by reducing air exchange rates (AERs). Baseline measurements were carried out for a one week period in the child's sleeping area in each home and included the following monitoring: particulate matter (PM) number concentration, CO2 concentration, temperature, relative humidity (RH), air filter usage and fan speed, all continuous; daily gravimetric PM; and weekly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including 100 different compounds, tobacco smoke and AER tracers, on a weekly basis. Additional measurements were taken in the living room or other common area. In the standard and enhanced intervention groups, we installed the air filter during the third or fourth day of the baseline study. The filters reduced PM concentrations as much as 60 to 95%, depending on the household and PM measurement method. We also found higher PM levels in houses with smokers, and considerable variation in filter use among the study population.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe the NIEHS funded Community Action Against Asthma Intervention study. 2.Understand the relationship between indoor air quality and exacerbation of asthma in children. 3.Describe the effect of air filters on the reduction of PM concentrations in study households.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences and I am studying indoor air quality and doing research on the air filters.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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