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Towards Personal Exposures: How Technology Is Changing Air Pollution and Health Research

  • Air Pollution and Health (S Adar and B Hoffmann, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Environmental Health Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

We present a review of emerging technologies and how these can transform personal air pollution exposure assessment and subsequent health research.

Recent Findings

Estimating personal air pollution exposures is currently split broadly into methods for modeling exposures for large populations versus measuring exposures for small populations. Air pollution sensors, smartphones, and air pollution models capitalizing on big/new data sources offer tremendous opportunity for unifying these approaches and improving long-term personal exposure prediction at scales needed for population-based research. A multi-disciplinary approach is needed to combine these technologies to not only estimate personal exposures for epidemiological research but also determine drivers of these exposures and new prevention opportunities. While available technologies can revolutionize air pollution exposure research, ethical, privacy, logistical, and data science challenges must be met before widespread implementations occur.

Summary

Available technologies and related advances in data science can improve long-term personal air pollution exposure estimates at scales needed for population-based research. This will advance our ability to evaluate the impacts of air pollution on human health and develop effective prevention strategies.

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Acknowledgments

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, under Award Number DP5OD019850. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would also like to acknowledge the reviewers’ contributions to refining the messages presented in this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Milam 20A, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    A. Larkin

  2. College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Milam 20C, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    P. Hystad

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  1. A. Larkin
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Correspondence to P. Hystad.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All epidemiological studies cited by the authors were in accordance with the ethics standards of Oregon State University.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Air Pollution and Health

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Larkin, A., Hystad, P. Towards Personal Exposures: How Technology Is Changing Air Pollution and Health Research. Curr Envir Health Rpt 4, 463–471 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-017-0163-y

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