AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Indoor Air Quality in Latino Homes in Boulder, Colorado
Luis Escobedo, WYATT CHAMPION, Ning Li, Lupita Montoya, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 92 Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract Americans spend most of their time indoors where exposure to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can result in diminished health. This study measured the indoor air quality in 30 homes of a low-income Latino community in Boulder, Colorado during the summer of 2012. Participants were administered a survey which pertained to health conditions, previous exposures to smoke, and potential indoor air pollution sources such as cigarette smoke, heating fuel, and building materials. Twenty-four hour samples of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from both the indoor and ambient air were collected for each home. Concurrent air samples were collected onto 47mm Teflo and Tissuquartz filter at each location. The Teflo filters were analyzed gravimetrically to measure PM2.5 and their extracts were used to determine levels of proteins and endotoxins in the fine fraction of PM. The Tissuquartz filters were analyzed for elemental and organic carbon content (EC/OC). Results indicated that the indoor air contained higher concentrations of PM2.5 than the ambient air, and that the levels of OC were much higher than EC in both indoor and outdoor samples. This community showed practically no smoking in their homes and kept furry pets indoors at very low rates; therefore, cooking is likely the primary source of indoor PM. For responders with significant previous exposure to PM, it appeared to be primarily from occupational environments or childhood exposure abroad. Our findings indicate that for immigrant communities such as this, it is important to consider not only their housing conditions, but also the relevant prior exposures when conducting health assessments.