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2004 Progress Report: Community-Based Intervention Project: Reduction of Exposure and Risk from Pesticides and Allergens

EPA Grant Number: R832141C004
Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R832141
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health
Center Director: Perera, Frederica P.
Title: Community-Based Intervention Project: Reduction of Exposure and Risk from Pesticides and Allergens
Investigators: Evans, David , Carlton, Elizabeth , Chew, Ginger
Current Investigators: Evans, David
Institution: Columbia University
EPA Project Officer: Fields, Nigel
Project Period: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2008
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2004
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (2003)
Research Category: Children's Health , Health Effects

Description:

Objective:

The Community-Based Participatory Research Intervention Project currently consists of two projects. The first project is an evaluation of a building-wide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in public housing. The project is a collaboration between the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH), the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA), and the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH). The objective of this research project is to examine the impact of IPM on pest populations, allergen levels, and asthma morbidity up to 6 months after the intervention and currently is funded by a no-cost extension. The second project continues the NYCHA/NYCDOH/CCCEH collaboration, examining the long-term impact of NYCHA’s IPM intervention. The objective of the second project is to determine: (1) the duration of IPM effectiveness by measuring how long IPM keeps pest levels reduced; (2) how long the physical repairs, sealing, and caulking last before degrading; and (3) the maintenance schedule needed to maintain IPM.

Progress Summary:

Data collection for our 6-month IPM evaluation in our first site, East Harlem, is complete. We enrolled 170 apartments at baseline and conducted 3-month followup in 144 apartments and 6-month followup in 142 apartments, retaining 84 percent of our participants through the end of the study. In our second site, Bushwick, Brooklyn, enrollment began October 2003 and was completed May 2004. We enrolled 155 apartments, boosting our total enrollment to 325 apartments.

Recently, we analyzed the baseline data from East Harlem, including data on cockroach allergen (Bla g 2) and mouse allergen (MUP). Cockroaches were common, detected in 87 percent of apartments, and Bla g 2 levels were high: 79 percent of kitchen samples and 36 percent of the bedroom samples were greater than 8 μg/g. Mice were less common, detected in 10 percent of apartments, and MUP levels were low: 17 percent of kitchen samples and 12 percent of bedroom samples were greater than 2 μg/g. Pest populations and allergen levels were correlated (kitchen cockroaches and bedroom Ba g 2 r = 0.528, p < 0.001).

We found a significant relationship between cockroach allergen levels and the presence of an asthmatic in an apartment. Apartments with bedroom Ba g 2 levels above 8 μg/g were more likely to have at least one asthmatic living in the apartment (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-5.6). Apartments with high bedroom allergen levels also were more likely to have at least one asthmatic that has had asthma symptoms in the last 3 months (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.9).

We found a relationship between open food and/or clutter in the kitchen, pests, and allergens. During the baseline visit, research workers rated the amount of open food and clutter on a nine-point scale. A score above two was considered notable. In apartments with notable open food in the kitchen, more cockroaches were trapped (30 vs. 15, p = 0.043), more residents reported seeing 20 or more cockroaches per day (45% vs. 21%, p = 0.002), and more residents reported seeing mice (33% vs. 17%, p = 0.021). In apartments with notable clutter in the kitchen, more residents reported seeing mice (34% vs. 15%, p = 0.006); however, there was no association with cockroaches. Both cockroach and mouse allergen levels were higher in apartments with notable open food and clutter.

Future analyses will include data from the 155 apartments at our second site.

The evaluation of the long-term impact of NYCHA’s IPM intervention is scheduled to begin this August in East Harlem. We will recruit the same apartments enrolled in our 6-month evaluation, visiting them in the same month of their baseline visit to control for any seasonal fluctuations in allergens or pest populations. In each apartment, we will monitor pests, allergens, and asthma morbidity, as well as inspect the condition of caulking and repairs.

Significance

The 6-month IPM evaluation will enable us to determine whether a community-based, building-wide IPM intervention in public housing can reduce pest populations and allergen levels in the home and whether these reductions have an impact on the frequency of respiratory symptoms in children. The second IPM evaluation will provide much-needed information about the long-term impact and durability of IPM.

Future Activities:

All data collection should be completed for the first project this fall. The long-term IPM evaluation will begin in August.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

children’s health, health effects, health risk assessment, assessment of exposure, asthma, children’s environmental health, air pollutants, , HUMAN HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Scientific Discipline, Health, RFA, Health Effects, Risk Assessment, Health Risk Assessment, Children's Health, Biochemistry, Environmental Policy, Genetics, exposure assessment, genetic risk factors, children's environmental health, assessment of exposure, prenatal exposure, genetic susceptibility, maternal exposure, nutritional risk factors, community-based intervention, genetic mechanisms, environmental risks, asthma
Relevant Websites:

http://www.cehn.org exit EPA

Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
2005 Progress Report
2006 Progress Report


Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R832141    Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R832141C001 Growth and Development Research Project: Prenatal and Postnatal Urban Pollutants and Neurobehavioral Developmental Outcomes
R832141C002 Research Project on Asthma: Prenatal and Postnatal Urban Pollutants and Childhood Asthma
R832141C003 Mechanistic Research Project
R832141C004 Community-Based Intervention Project: Reduction of Exposure and Risk from Pesticides and Allergens
R832141C005 Community Translation and Application Core (COTAC)
R832141C006 Exposure Assessment Facility Core
R832141C007 Data Management, Statistics and Community Impact Modeling Core
R832141C008 Administrative Core

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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