AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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Air Pollution Exposures among Pregnant Women in a United States - Mexico Border Town
KIRSTEN KOEHLER, Jairus Pulczinski, Misti Levy-Zamora, Johnson Natalie, Ana Rule, Josias Zietsman, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Abstract Number: 324 Working Group: Health Related Aerosols
Abstract Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been implicated in negative health effects including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Early life represents a unique window of susceptibility to air pollution as exposures in utero can result in altered physiological responses that can continue into adulthood. Prenatal exposures to heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), components of TRAP, have been linked to reduced lung function, cognitive impairment, low birth weight, and increased asthma susceptibility. Furthermore, towns located on the United States – Mexico border are substantially impacted by TRAP because of their proximity to heavy traffic at the border crossings and due to diesel trucks that do not meet the United States emissions standards. This study examined exposure to TRAP in 20 pregnant mothers (third trimester) in Hidalgo County, TX, a region with the highest childhood asthma prevalence in Texas. Personal exposures to PM2.5 mass, black carbon (a marker of exposure to TRAP), and airborne PAHs were monitored in three 24-hour periods occurring at two-week intervals. Pollution measures were paired with a GPS to evaluate the impact of different microenvironments on exposure. Exposures to PM2.5 mass were highly variable both within- and between- person. Daily average exposures to PM2.5 mass ranged from 5 to 150 ug/m3 and short-term exposures for some participants exceeded 3000 ug/m3 during some activities. Exposures to TRAP were highly variable among this susceptible population of women. The 24-hour average personal exposures often exceeded the ambient air quality 24-hour PM2.5 standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.