Project Summary
Environmental risk factors are attributable to ~50% of the chronic respiratory disease burden in the U.S. and to
~10-15% of the burden from other non-communicable diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease, and
diabetes). Exposure to environmental risk factors occurs through various forms of water and air pollution, with
a smaller attribution to sources like noise, radiation, and physical hazards. Much of this exposure occurs at
home, where people spend 70% of their lives. Yet, the notion that your home should be good for your health is
often taken for granted. Homes can be significant sources of harmful pollutant exposure. Indoor levels of
established and emerging pollutants, including carcinogens, endocrine-disrupting compounds, criteria air
pollutants, and harmful microbes, are often elevated relative to levels measured outside the home. These
exposures are important determinants of non-communicable diseases and they are magnified by racial, ethnic,
and socioeconomic inequalities that prevail across the country. Thus, there is a growing need for accessible
environmental testing tools and educational programs to create awareness and inspire change in living
conditions for improved long-term health. The cost and complexity of existing environmental measurement
technologies are in large part why the average household, especially minority or socioeconomically
disadvantaged individuals, are unaware of the environmental stressors in their place of residence. This Phase I
proposal will develop and demonstrate a novel and inexpensive environmental home assessment tool (Home
Health Box) for measuring air and water quality in homes. The Home Health Box is a sensor and sample
collection system that can be deployed by the home occupant quickly, simply, and with minimal effort. Analysis
will include environmental stressors in air (particulate matter, black carbon, metals, volatile organics,
mold/bacteria) and water (residual chlorine, metals, bacteria). After constructing and testing the boxes we will
deploy them across minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged homes in Fort Collins, CO. Measurement
data will be communicated back to the home occupant (with an emphasis on culturally-sensitive design of
communications). The Home Health Box will empower individuals to understand, recognize, and mitigate
environmental hazards in the home – a place where the majority of exposure tends to occur. Two aims are
proposed: (1) Develop a simple, portable sampling and sensor system to quantify environmental stressors
using a citizen-science approach and (2) demonstrate performance and value of the Home Health Box concept
in a pilot field study of racial and ethnic minority residents in Fort Collins, Colorado.