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Evaluation of indoor PM2.5 concentrations in a Native American Community: a pilot study

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Abstract

Background

Indoor air pollution is associated with adverse health effects; however, few studies exist studying indoor air pollution on the Navajo Nation in the southwest U.S., a community with high rates of respiratory disease.

Methods

Indoor PM2.5 concentration was evaluated in 26 homes on the Navajo Nation using real-time PM2.5 monitors. Household risk factors and daily activities were evaluated with three metrics of indoor PM2.5: time-weighted average (TWA), 90th percentile of concentration, and daily minutes exceeding 100 μg/m3. A questionnaire and recall sheet were used to record baseline household characteristics and daily activities.

Results

The median TWA, 90th percentile, and daily minutes exceeding 100 μg/m3 were 7.9 μg/m3, 14.0 μg/m3, and 17 min, respectively. TWAs tended to be higher in autumn and in houses that used fuel the previous day. Other characteristics associated with elevated PM exposure in all metrics included overcrowded houses, nonmobile houses, and houses with current smokers, pets, and longer cooking time.

Conclusions

Some residents of the Navajo Nation have higher risk of exposure to indoor air pollution by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Efforts to identify the causes and associations with adverse health effects are needed to ensure that exposure to risks and possible health impacts are mitigated.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Representative examples of PM2.5 concentrations in μg/m3 from two participant households during the sampling period.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the Navajo community members who participated in this research and to the Navajo Nation IRB for their support. We gratefully acknowledge the nurses and research program assistants at Johns Hopkins University Center for Native American Health for work on the data collection and air monitoring. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Funding

The work on this study was co-funded by The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and the United States Geological Survey.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rutgers University School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA

    Nan Ji

  2. Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ana M. Rule

  3. Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Robert Weatherholtz, Raymond Reid, Mathuram Santosham, Laura L. Hammitt & Katherine L. O’Brien

  4. United States Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA

    Lynn Crosby, Joseph E. Bunnell & Bill Orem

Authors
  1. Nan Ji
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  2. Ana M. Rule
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  3. Robert Weatherholtz
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  4. Lynn Crosby
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  5. Joseph E. Bunnell
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  6. Bill Orem
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  7. Raymond Reid
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  8. Mathuram Santosham
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  9. Laura L. Hammitt
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  10. Katherine L. O’Brien
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Contributions

NJ—conducted the main analyses and interpreted the results. She also contributed to writing the paper. AMR—provided expert advice on the interpretation of the results and provided feedback on the publication. RW—contributed to writing the protocol, extracting the data, and provided feedback on the report. LC—provide expert advice on the content matter and provided feedback on the report. JEB—contributed to writing the protocol and interpreting the results and provided feedback on the report. BO—contributed to writing the protocol and interpreting the result and provided feedback on the report. RR—contributed to writing the protocol and provided feedback on the report. MS—contributed the writing the protocol and provided feedback on the report. LLH—provided feedback on the report and data analysis. KLO—contributed to the study design, protocol writing and study conduct.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Weatherholtz.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Ji, N., Rule, A.M., Weatherholtz, R. et al. Evaluation of indoor PM2.5 concentrations in a Native American Community: a pilot study. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 32, 554–562 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00373-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00373-x

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