RESEARCH at PICEH

Over the past twenty years scientists have begun to uncover mysteries of the human body and gain greater insight into the development of the body from conception to adulthood. These discoveries have altered our thinking as we have also begun to realize how the body is more susceptible to environmental exposure and that children are even more sensitive to these exposures than previously thought.

One environmental exposure that plays a significant role in the impact of human health is air pollution. While the Clean Air Act has resulted in substantial reductions in air pollution from vehicles, power plants, and industrial sources over the past 30 years, the field of air quality is still unsure about the health effects of many things that are in our air. Today, many researchers are focusing their attention on pollutants in our air that are very small: they are particles, or as scientists define them, particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 microns thick (PM 2.5) – fine particles smaller than about 1/30th of the thickness of a human hair. These particles contribute to haze in our air, poor air quality days, and result in health problems for many people, especially sensitive groups like children, the elderly, and people with respiratory ailments like asthma and COPD. Research is showing that PM2.5 particles are even more lethal at lower and lower levels.

Since these particles are so small and can include toxins, when they are breathed in air, they can be absorbed into the blood stream through the lungs and can then flow throughout the entire body. Since these particles can be absorbed into the bloodstream, scientists have realized that air pollution can cause many more health problems than just those normally associated with breathing. Diseases that once were not associated with air pollution are now being correlated with elevated PM2.5 concentrations in air. For example, air pollution has been linked to low birth weight and premature births that can result in these infants being much more susceptible to diseases throughout their entire lives. Air pollution has also been correlated with cardiovascular disease and an increased incidence of heart attacks. Recent research even indicates a possible relationship between PM2.5 pollution and the onset of diabetes in lab animals.

Since the Industrial Revolution, Berks County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have been at the center of many air pollution problems and numerous Federal, State and not-for-profit organizations have identified Berks County air as being unhealthy. It is due to the location of Berks County that makes it is an ideal home for researching air quality issues and developing an air monitoring network to help research air quality and help the population have accurate data on the current air quality conditions where they live.

It is the goal of PICEH’s research program to research air quality issues so that we can gain a better understanding of them and their potential impact on the health of children. By combining our expertise in air quality with our multidisciplinary approach to children’s environmental health, we hope that one day the research that PICEH conducts will advance our understanding of children’s environmental health.

¹ University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health: Urban Air Pollution Linked to Birth Defects for First Time; UCLA research Links Two Pollutants to Increased Risk of Heart Defects. www.ph.ucla.edu/pr/newsitem123101.html