Ecuador

Air Pollution & Respiratory Disease Traineeship
(Grant: # F30ES012550 )  Publications
Harris, Aaron M (aaron.harris@tufts.edu ) - Tufts University Boston
Abstract: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is responsible for 19% of all deaths worldwide among children less than five years old. Environmental factors such as air pollution have been hypothesized to increase the risk of incidence for ARI in young children. Malnutrition is also known to suppress the immune system that renders a child more susceptible to ARI. This five-year traineeship aims to link environmental pollutants, while controlling for host nutritional factors, to an overall increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases in Ecuadorian children. Air pollution in Quito, Ecuador will be closely monitored by the City of Quito and using mobile handheld monitors to allow a time-series and geographical analysis of respiratory disease in a cohort of children already enrolled in an NIH-funded study. These data will be used to statistically analyze adverse respiratory health outcomes in variably malnourished Ecuadorian children as it relates to air pollution. In addition, molecular and microbiologic analysis will establish a spectrum of pathogens that cause disease.

Epidemiology of Indoor Air Pollution and Human Health
(Grant: # F30ES013373 )  Publications
Rinne, Seppo T (srinne@purdue.edu) - Purdue University West Lafayette
Abstract: Approximately half the world's population uses biomass fuels for domestic energy, resulting in widespread exposure to indoor air pollution (lAP). Indicators of lAP have been associated with acute respiratory infections, obstructive airway disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and cancer. More than 2 million deaths are attributed to lAP each year. Still, few studies have directly examined the association between pollutants in biomass smoke and human health. Furthermore, there have been no intervention studies to assess the effectiveness of preventive measures in decreasing lAP and respiratory disease. We propose to address these deficiencies through detailed epidemiological studies in Santa Ana, Ecuador. Preliminary studies have shown a high prevalence of respiratory infection in the community, with approximately 50% of homes using biomass fuel. Proposed investigations will examine the effectiveness of improved biomass stoves and ventilation to decrease lAP in an ideal (laboratory) setting as well as in rural houses in Santa Ana. We will also assess the association of respiratory disease and lAP levels among 60 households in the community. Lastly, we will test the effectiveness of preventive measures to decrease the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections, using a randomized, controlled, study design. Through these investigations we hope to provide insight into an environmental hazard that is widespread throughout the world.