A Randomized Cross-over Air Filtration Intervention Trial for Reducing Cardiovascular Health Risks in Residents of Public Housing near a Highway.

Exposure to traffic-generated ultrafine particles (UFP; particles <100 nm) is likely a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We conducted a trial of high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filtration in public housing near a highway. Twenty residents in 19 apartments living <200 m from the highway participated in a randomized, double-blind crossover trial.

Highway proximity associated with cardiovascular disease risk: the influence of individual-level confounders and exposure misclassification.

Background: Elevated cardiovascular disease risk has been reported with proximity to highways or busy roadways, but proximity measures can be challenging to interpret given potential confounders and exposure error.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional analysis of plasma levels of C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha receptor II (TNF-RII) and fibrinogen with distance of residence to a highway in and around Boston, Massachusetts. Distance was assigned using ortho-photo corrected parcel matching, as well as less precise approaches such as simple parcel matching and geocoding addresses to street networks.

Particle number emission factors for an urban highway tunnel.

Exposure to traffic-related air pollution has been linked to increased risks of cardiopulmonary disease, asthma, and reduced lung function. Ultrafine particles (UFP; aerodynamic diameter < 100 nm), one component of traffic exhaust, may contribute to these risks. This paper describes the development of UFP emission factors, an important input parameter for dispersion models used for exposure assessment.

In-home air filtration for improving cardiovascular health: lessons from a CBPR study in public housing.

Background: Particulate air pollution, including from motor vehicles, is associated with cardiovascular disease.

Objectives: To describe lessons learned from installing air filtration units in public housing apartments next to a major highway.

Methods: We reviewed experience with recruitment, retention, and acceptance of the air filtration units.

Mobile monitoring of particle number concentration and other traffic-related air pollutants in a near-highway neighborhood over the course of a year.

Accurate quantification of exposures to traffic-related air pollution in near-highway neighborhoods is challenging due to the high degree of spatial and temporal variation of pollutant levels. The objective of this study was to measure air pollutant levels in a near-highway urban area over a wide range of traffic and meteorological conditions using a mobile monitoring platform. The study was performed in a 2.