This research addresses the need to develop wearable and non-wearable sensors that can monitor environmental exposures relevant to asthma for the Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS) Program. We will develop and test a new sensor system called the Total Exposure Monitoring Unit (TEMU), which measures multiple air pollutants with the temporal and spatial resolution necessary to characterize relationships with asthma morbidity. Our research will build upon the existing Home Air In Agriculture (HAPI) intervention study aimed at reducing asthma morbidity in a cohort of asthmatic Hispanic children in Yakima Valley in Washington State by reducing household indoor air pollution using HEPA filtration. We propose to assess the feasibility of the TEMU in a representative subset of participants from HAPI. By leveraging the ongoing intervention, this study will compare detailed indoor and outdoor air pollution measurements from the new TEMU system to the air pollution exposure measures from traditional monitoring instruments, as well as detailed asthma morbidity measures from the HAPI study.
The aims of our study are to (1) Develop and laboratory test the TEMU ? an integrated asthma monitoring solution that consists of: a wearable device that quantifies CO, NO2, and particulate matter exposure in real-time and collects nanoparticle samples for location-specific speciation of particulate asthma triggers, including diesel, wood/cigarette smoke, and some biological particles; and a table-top, networked module that provides in-home analysis of the particles collected from the wearable device in addition to time-resolved monitoring of household concentrations of CO, NO2 and biologically relevant VOCs including formaldehyde, benzene and acrolein. (2) Deploy and evaluate the usability and performance of the TEMU in a cohort of 20 low-income Hispanic asthmatics recruited for an existing household HEPA filter intervention study. (3) Quantify differences between in-home and out-of-home exposures to traffic related particles, and wood/cigarette smoke among the subjects participating in this project. Determine the correlations between the TEMU's indoor exposure measures and those already collected in the HAPI study. (4) Assess the ability of the TEMU to monitor reductions in indoor air pollution, and relationship between both indoor and outdoor air pollution exposures and asthma improvements (daily self-reported asthma symptoms from text messages and a digital rescue inhaler, as well as the existing HAPI outcomes that include urinary biomarkers, spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide, and pediatric Asthma Control Test) in the intervention study. Ultimately, accomplishing these aims would lead to a sensor system that may be applied to other asthma intervention studies, as well as clinically-oriented or home-based asthma care studies.

Public Health Relevance

This study will develop a new sensor system for pediatric asthma research called the Total Exposure Monitoring Unit (TEMU) that will measure the types of air pollution that asthmatics are exposed to both inside and outside of their homes. This system will be tested both in the laboratory at the University of Washington, as well as in a group of asthmatic children living in the Yakima Valley region of Washington state. We will determine the relationship between different types of air pollution exposures inside and outside of the home and various measures of asthma control and medication use.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
3U01EB021923-01S2
Application #
9700972
Study Section
Program Officer
Selimovic, Seila
Project Start
2018-09-01
Project End
2019-09-29
Budget Start
2018-09-01
Budget End
2019-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
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