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2005 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, 2004 through October 31, 2005
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. This project 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 research 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 at both sites is complete. We enrolled 324 apartments at baseline, 264 at 3-month followup, and 264 at 6-month followup, retaining 81 percent of participants.

At baseline, we found cockroaches in 77 percent of apartments and mice in 13 percent. Both allergens and pesticide use were associated with pest infestation, and 15 percent of residents reported using illegal pesticides to control pests. The percent of apartments with high allergen levels varied significantly by building (cockroach allergen, Bla g 2: p = 0.002; mouse allergen, MUP: p = 0.027), as did the percent of apartments with cockroaches (p = 0.002) and daily mouse sightings (p = 0.015). Thirty-seven percent of apartments had at least one resident with physician-diagnosed asthma. In family buildings, apartments with high Bla g 2 had 1.7 greater odds of having an asthmatic resident (95% CI: 1.2-2.3). In senior-citizen buildings, apartments with high MUP had 6.6 greater odds of having an asthmatic resident (95% CI: 1.4-31.7), controlling for smoking and other potential confounders.

We are conducting analyses on the impact of IPM on pests, allergens, asthma, and pesticide use at 3- and 6-month followup in intervention versus control buildings. Initial analyses indicate that IPM succeeded in reducing cockroaches compared to control buildings at both 3- and 6-month followup. For example, at round 3 followup, the number of cockroaches was reduced by 50 percent in 68 percent of apartments that received an IPM intervention and 48 percent of controls (p = 0.001). It appears that the impact of IPM tapers off slightly at 6-month followup, but IPM apartments still have greater reductions in cockroaches than control apartments.

We have completed data collection for our long-term follow-up study of IPM in our first site, East Harlem. We will begin data collection at our second site this fall, and field work should be complete by late spring 2006.

Significance

Previous studies have identified individual home characteristics that are associated with the presence of cockroaches and mice, but our baseline findings suggest that building-level characteristics can influence high pest exposure. Furthermore, high asthma prevalence among residents and the use of illegal pesticides highlights the need for safe and effective building-wide pest control strategies. Our analyses of the impact of IPM 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 interventions.

Future Activities:

All data collection for the 6-month IPM study was completed in January 2005. Analyses of the impact of IPM on pests, allergens, asthma morbidity, and pesticide use are in process. Data collection for the long-term IPM evaluation is ongoing and should be complete by late spring 2006.

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:
2004 Progress Report
Original Abstract
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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