Democratizing Access to Cleaner Residential Air

Democratizing Access to Cleaner Residential Air

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether the use of in-home air filtration to reduce exposure to air pollution benefits health.

Conduct a randomized crossover pilot trial with 66 participants to calculate preliminary effect size estimates to inform a larger crossover efficacy trial:

We will: 1) enroll 66 individuals living in low and high traffic areas in Hartford (N=44) and a highly polluted urban areas in Boston Chinatown (N=22); and 2) install full filtration DIYAPs and sham DIYAPs for 30 days each in a randomized crossover trial design with a 14-day wash-out in between; and 3) measure seated and ambulatory BP, administer the SF-12v2, the Trail Making Test Part B, collect blood, and measure both indoor and outdoor PM (in size bins).

Inclusion Criteria:

Age 40 years or older Speaks English, Vietnamese, and/or Chinese Cognitive capacity to respond to questionnaires Lives fulltime at the current address, adjacent (< 200 meters) to roadways with large traffic volumes Must have one or more risk factors (hypertension or elevated blood pressure, pre-diabetes or diabetes or elevated blood sugar levels, elevated cholesterol levels, body mass index 25 or greater)

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnant Works between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM Sources of smoke in the living space (such as candles, incense, marijuana, wood stove, fireplace) almost every day/every day.

Every day exposure to motor vehicle exhaust (from cars, trucks, buses, trains), including heavy street or highway traffic.

Currently smoking or vaping Others smoking or vaping indoors, in the living space. Within the past 5 years, a diagnosis of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, blood clots or pulmonary embolism, cancer requiring surgery and/or chemo/radiation therapy