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PROPOSAL:

Execute Contract to Cost-Share Pilot Health Study to Evaluate Health Impacts of Multiple Toxic Air Pollutants in a Community

SYNOPSIS:

To address an Environmental Justice Initiative, AQMD initiated additional monitoring efforts to establish baseline risk levels in different areas of the Basin, and to identify areas which may have relatively higher risks due to cumulative impacts from nearby sources. A pilot health study is proposed to characterize personal exposures to toxics, and to evaluate adverse health effects in two sensitive population subgroups living close to a toxics monitoring site: (1) school children suffering from asthma; and (2) school children suffering from migraine. Results will determine the type and scale of studies required to evaluate cumulative health risk concerns in affected communities. For this $329,069 project, AQMD and ARB will contribute $164,427 and $164,642 respectively.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, August 28, 1998. Vice Chair Leonard Paulitz and Roy Wilson communicated their concurrence.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, in an amount not to exceed $139,427 to conduct a pilot study evaluating toxic exposures and their health impacts, results of which will be used to determine the type and scale of studies required to evaluate cumulative health risk concerns in affected communities.

Barry Wallerstein, D.Env.
Acting Executive Officer

Background

As part of the Environmental Justice Initiative #2 adopted by the Board, AQMD has initiated an extensive monitoring effort, Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES II) to characterize ambient levels of selected toxic compounds. This effort will establish the baseline risk levels in different areas of the Basin, and will identify areas which may have relatively higher cumulative risk due to multiple emissions from nearby sources. While acute adverse health effects associated with criteria pollutants and the dose-response for these effects have been reasonably well established, similar information is not available to evaluate complaints received from the Basin’s residents attributing the effects to nearby toxic sources of emissions.

The complaints received can be categorized as neurological (foul odors, headache, and nausea) and respiratory (breathing problems and asthma attacks) in nature. To date, very few studies have attempted to characterize acute and chronic non-cancer effects, as well as cancer associated with ambient exposures to various toxic compounds including VOCs. Although toxic pollutant exposures from clusters of nearby emission sources in a community would be higher than in a community without similar nearby sources, data are lacking to ascertain the type or the magnitude of cumulative health risk associated with those multiple emissions. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the adverse health impacts under ambient conditions in communities affected by multiple toxic emission sources.

Proposal

A pilot-scale study has been proposed jointly by the University of California, Irvine, and Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, to characterize personal exposures taking advantage of ongoing MATES II monitoring efforts and to evaluate adverse health effects in two potentially sensitive cohorts. The results of this study will be used to determine the type and scale of studies required to quantify community-level cumulative health impacts from nearby sources.

The evaluation includes subjects 10-15 years old who have been recruited from schools, half of whom have a current history of frequent migraines and half of whom have moderate severity of asthma. Because of lack of information regarding sensitive population subgroups to toxic compounds, the investigators have selected these two cohorts as potentially sensitive subgroups in the general population. By restricting the subject recruitment criteria to non-smoking subjects, and to those living in non-smoking households in close proximity to schools (to reduce associated driving), the design will control for other major sources of exposure such as active and passive tobacco smoke, and exposure associated with occupation and vehicular travel. To further enhance the relevance of outdoor toxics exposure, efforts will be made to recruit subjects from non-air-conditioned homes and with school addresses located within a one-mile radius from the selected monitoring site.

During the first phase planned for early 1999, the protocol and the methods to be used will be finalized and validated. Although Wilmington is being considered as a possible study area, the final selection will be made after reviewing data from the ongoing toxics monitoring network in consultation with the AQMD staff and an Advisory Group proposed to be set up for the project.

The first phase includes measuring concentrations of selected VOCs in breath samples taken on four days in a subset of subjects, separated by 5-day intervals (timed with AQMD monitoring cycle), and evaluating two types of daily diaries -- one for asthma and one for migraine episodes over a two-week period.

Breath concentrations are considered to be reasonable estimates of recent personal exposures as well as current body burden. It reflects equilibrium concentrations and thus can be used as a tool to identify high exposures associated with nearby emissions. A recently developed and established method used by US EPA for the detection of VOCs in a single exhaled breath using a 1-liter stainless steel canister having its internal surface passivated, will be used. The canisters will be analyzed at a reference laboratory. 12 VOCs including benzene, 1,3 butadiene, vinyl chloride, toluene, carbon tetrachloride and xylene will be measured in breath samples and in ambient samples collected at the central outdoor monitoring site.

Most of the effects-related studies published to date have taken ambient measurements as default values for exposure. In contrast, this study will attempt to characterize personal exposures by analyzing breath samples for selected VOCs. This analysis will determine whether breath measurements could be used as a surrogate for personal exposures to the various toxic compounds measured at the nearby ambient monitoring site.

The second phase planned for the summer of 1999 includes a panel study involving repeated measures of health outcomes and exposures in two larger groups of subjects with asthma and with migraine who are also aged 10-15 years. Statistical analyses will be performed to correlate various health outcome parameters (such as symptom changes, asthma or migraine attacks, and medication needs) with personal and/or outdoor levels of toxic pollutant levels. Standard and well established statistical methods will be used to control the influence of co-existing ambient criteria pollutants and other factors such as indoor sources and variations in the weather.

The study as proposed, has taken into consideration the comments provided by the staff of California Air Resources Board, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and members of the Air Toxics Study Review Group and Environmental Justice Task Force. An Advisory Group comprised of individuals representing academia, industry, environmental groups and communities will be set up to monitor the progress, and to make suggestions to improve the quality of the study.

Benefits

The results of this study will be useful in determining the types of studies required to evaluate the cumulative health impacts in communities affected by multiple emission sources as well as the resources needed to fund different types of studies required to address environmental justice related issues. In addition, this pilot study will provide valuable insight regarding personal exposures and impacts (if any) on two potentially sensitive cohorts despite its pilot nature. A strong positive finding would clearly establish the link between ambient toxics and acute adverse health effects, thereby supporting the need to consider cumulative health impacts. A strong negative finding may not exonerate acute impacts, but would suggest that the two sub-groups are not likely to be the primary target susceptible groups for acute impacts. Together with the results of ongoing MATES II monitoring efforts, the information can be used to better characterize and apportion the health risks posed by stationary and mobile source emissions.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII, (B)(2) of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole-source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d.: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interests of the AQMD. Specifically, these circumstances are: B.2.d.(1) projects involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors; B.2.d.(6) projects requiring compatibility with existing specialized equipment; B.2.d.(8) Research and Development efforts with educational institutions or nonprofit organizations. These circumstances are summarized below.

The California Air Resources Board is providing $164,642 for this project. The project has been designed to take advantage of the ongoing toxics monitoring efforts, thereby saving considerable costs associated with ambient monitoring in a community. The investigator team from the University of California, Irvine and Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center has the critical combination of experience in air pollution effects related studies under laboratory and ambient scenarios, and expertise in medicine, epideimiology and statistics required for the successful completion of a project of this kind.

Resource Impacts

The total amount of AQMD funding for this contract will not exceed $139,427. Estimated cost-sharing for this 18 month $329,069 project is listed below:

Sufficient funds are available in Technology Advancement’s FY 1998-99 budget for work related to air pollution health effects. However, staff intends to use $100,000 from the AB 2588 Air Toxic "Hot Spots" Fund towards the expenditure of this project. This expenditure of AB 2588 funds is intended to satisfy a portion of the state fees collected for the ARB from the Air Toxics program for FY 1993-94. Upon receipt of the ARB’s formal approval for the expenditure, staff will return to your Board requesting to transfer $100,000 from the AB 2588 Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Fund to the General Fund as partial reimbursement of expenditures for this project.

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