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Variability in the fraction of ambient fine particulate matter found indoors and observed heterogeneity in health effect estimates

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 22, pages 448–454 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Exposure to ambient (outdoor-generated) fine particulate matter (PM2.5) occurs predominantly indoors. The variable efficiency with which ambient PM2.5 penetrates and persists indoors is a source of exposure error in air pollution epidemiology and could contribute to observed temporal and spatial heterogeneity in health effect estimates. We used a mass balance approach to model F for several scenarios across which heterogeneity in effect estimates has been observed: with geographic location of residence, residential roadway proximity, socioeconomic status, and central air-conditioning use. We found F is higher in close proximity to primary combustion sources (e.g. proximity to traffic) and for lower income homes. F is lower when PM2.5 is enriched in nitrate and with central air-conditioning use. As a result, exposure error resulting from variability in F will be greatest when these factors have high temporal and/or spatial variability. The circumstances for which F is lower in our calculations correspond to circumstances for which lower effect estimates have been observed in epidemiological studies and higher F values correspond to higher effect estimates. Our results suggest that variability in exposure misclassification resulting from variability in F is a possible contributor to heterogeneity in PM-mediated health effect estimates.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge helpful discussions with Janet Burke and Pamela Ohman-Strickland, as well as data from William Nazaroff. This research was funded in part by the US Environmental Protection Agency (Cooperative Agreement CR-83407201-0), NIEHS-sponsored UMDNJ Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (NIEHS P30ES005022), and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Natasha Hodas was supported by a Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship and an EPA STAR Fellowship. Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Natasha Hodas & Barbara J Turpin

  2. School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Qingyu Meng

  3. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Qingyu Meng & Barbara J Turpin

  4. Environmental Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA

    Melissa M Lunden

  5. School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA

    David Q Rich

  6. National Exposure Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    Halûk Özkaynak & Lisa K Baxter

  7. Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, California, USA

    Qi Zhang

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Correspondence to Barbara J Turpin.

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Hodas, N., Meng, Q., Lunden, M. et al. Variability in the fraction of ambient fine particulate matter found indoors and observed heterogeneity in health effect estimates. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 22, 448–454 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2012.34

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