Geocoding Error, Spatial Uncertainty, and Implications for Exposure Assessment and Environmental Epidemiology.

Although environmental epidemiology studies often rely on geocoding procedures in the process of assigning spatial exposure estimates, geocoding methods are not commonly reported, nor are consequent errors in exposure assignment explored. Geocoding methods differ in accuracy, however, and, given the increasing refinement of available exposure models for air pollution and other exposures, geocoding error may account for an increasingly larger proportion of exposure misclassification. We used residential addresses from a reasonably large, dense dataset of asthma emergency department visits from all New York City hospitals ( = 21,183; 26.

Evaluating deciduous tree leaves as biomonitors for ambient particulate matter pollution in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution varies spatially and temporally in concentration and composition and has been shown to cause or exacerbate adverse effects on human and ecological health. Biomonitoring using airborne tree leaf deposition as a proxy for particulate matter (PM) pollution has been explored using a variety of study designs, tree species, sampling strategies, and analytical methods. In the USA, relatively few have applied these methods using co-located fine particulate measurements for comparison and relying on one tree species with extensive spatial coverage, to capture spatial variation in ambient air pollution across an urban area.

Violent crime and socioeconomic deprivation in shaping asthma-related pollution susceptibility: a case-crossover design.

Background: The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the relative influence of community violent crime and socioeconomic deprivation in modifying associations between ozone and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma among children.

Methods: We used a spatiotemporal case-crossover analysis for all New York City EDs for the months May-September from 2005 to 2011 from a statewide administrative ED dataset. The data included 11 719 asthmatic children aged 5-18 years, and the main outcome measure was percentage of excess risk of asthma ED visit based on Cox regression analysis.

Hybrid land use regression modeling for estimating spatio-temporal exposures to PM, BC, and metal components across a metropolitan area of complex terrain and industrial sources.

Land use regression (LUR) modeling has become a common method for predicting pollutant concentrations and assigning exposure estimates in epidemiological studies. However, few LUR models have been developed for metal constituents of fine particulate matter (PM) or have incorporated source-specific dispersion covariates in locations with major point sources. We developed hybrid AERMOD LUR models for PM, black carbon (BC), and steel-related PM constituents lead, manganese, iron, and zinc, using fine-scale air pollution data from 37 sites across the Pittsburgh area.

Spatial Patterns in Rush-Hour vs. Work-Week Diesel-Related Pollution across a Downtown Core.

Despite advances in monitoring and modelling of intra-urban variation in multiple pollutants, few studies have attempted to separate spatial patterns by time of day, or incorporated organic tracers into spatial monitoring studies. Due to varying emissions sources from diesel and gasoline vehicular traffic, as well as within-day temporal variation in source mix and intensity (e.g.

Is All Urban Green Space the Same? A Comparison of the Health Benefits of Trees and Grass in New York City.

Living near vegetation, often called "green space" or "greenness", has been associated with numerous health benefits. We hypothesized that the two key components of urban vegetation, trees and grass, may differentially affect health. We estimated the association between near-residence trees, grass, and total vegetation (from the 2010 High Resolution Land Cover dataset for New York City (NYC)) with self-reported health from a survey of NYC adults (n = 1281).

Spatial variation in diesel-related elemental and organic PM components during workweek hours across a downtown core.

Capturing intra-urban variation in diesel-related pollution exposures remains a challenge, given its complex chemical mix, and relatively few well-characterized ambient-air tracers for the multiple diesel sources in densely-populated urban areas. To capture fine-scale spatial resolution (50×50m grid cells) in diesel-related pollution, we used geographic information systems (GIS) to systematically allocate 36 sampling sites across downtown Pittsburgh, PA, USA (2.8km), cross-stratifying to disentangle source impacts (i.

Framework for using deciduous tree leaves as biomonitors for intraurban particulate air pollution in exposure assessment.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, varying in concentration and composition, has been shown to cause or exacerbate adverse effects on both human and ecological health. The concept of biomonitoring using deciduous tree leaves as a proxy for intraurban PM air pollution in different areas has previously been explored using a variety of study designs (e.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Preterm Birth in New York City.

Background: Recent studies have suggested associations between air pollution and various birth outcomes, but the evidence for preterm birth is mixed.

Objective: We aimed to assess the relationship between air pollution and preterm birth using 2008-2010 New York City (NYC) birth certificates linked to hospital records.

Methods: We analyzed 258,294 singleton births with 22-42 completed weeks gestation to nonsmoking mothers.

Spatio-temporal ozone variation in a case-crossover analysis of childhood asthma hospital visits in New York City.

Background: Childhood asthma morbidity has been associated with short-term air pollution exposure. To date, most investigations have used time-series models, and it is not well understood how exposure misclassification arising from unmeasured spatial variation may impact epidemiological effect estimates. Here, we develop case-crossover models integrating temporal and spatial individual-level exposure information, toward reducing exposure misclassification in estimating associations between air pollution and child asthma exacerbations in New York City (NYC).

Spatial patterning in PM2.5 constituents under an inversion-focused sampling design across an urban area of complex terrain.

Health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) vary by chemical composition, and composition can help to identify key PM2.5 sources across urban areas.

Area-level socioeconomic deprivation, nitrogen dioxide exposure, and term birth weight in New York City.

Numerous studies have linked air pollution with adverse birth outcomes, but relatively few have examined differential associations across the socioeconomic gradient. To evaluate interaction effects of gestational nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and area-level socioeconomic deprivation on fetal growth, we used: (1) highly spatially-resolved air pollution data from the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS); and (2) spatially-stratified principle component analysis of census variables previously associated with birth outcomes to define area-level deprivation. New York City (NYC) hospital birth records for years 2008-2010 were restricted to full-term, singleton births to non-smoking mothers (n=243,853).

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in New York City.

Background: Previous studies suggested a possible association between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, but effect sizes have been small and methodologic weaknesses preclude firm conclusions.

Methods: We linked birth certificates in New York City in 2008-2010 to hospital discharge diagnoses and estimated air pollution exposure based on maternal address.

Identifying Perceived Neighborhood Stressors Across Diverse Communities in New York City.

There is growing interest in the role of psychosocial stress in health disparities. Identifying which social stressors are most important to community residents is critical for accurately incorporating stressor exposures into health research. Using a community-academic partnered approach, we designed a multi-community study across the five boroughs of New York City to characterize resident perceptions of key neighborhood stressors.

Spatial variation in inversion-focused vs 24-h integrated samples of PM2.5 and black carbon across Pittsburgh, PA.

A growing literature explores intra-urban variation in pollution concentrations. Few studies, however, have examined spatial variation during "peak" hours of the day (e.g.

Ambient ozone exposure and children's acute asthma in New York City: a case-crossover analysis.

Background: Childhood asthma morbidity has been associated with ambient ozone in case-crossover studies. Varying effects of ozone by child age and sex, however, have been less explored.

Methods: This study evaluates associations between ozone exposure and asthma emergency department visits and hospitalizations among boys and girls aged 5-17 years in New York City for the 2005-2011 warm season period.

Social stressors and air pollution across New York City communities: a spatial approach for assessing correlations among multiple exposures.

Background: Recent toxicological and epidemiological evidence suggests that chronic psychosocial stress may modify pollution effects on health. Thus, there is increasing interest in refined methods for assessing and incorporating non-chemical exposures, including social stressors, into environmental health research, towards identifying whether and how psychosocial stress interacts with chemical exposures to influence health and health disparities. We present a flexible, GIS-based approach for examining spatial patterns within and among a range of social stressors, and their spatial relationships with air pollution, across New York City, towards understanding their combined effects on health.