FRESSCA-Mujeres
Study of air pollution exposures among female agricultural workers in Fresno, Kern, and Kings counties.
The Farmworker women & Respiratory Exposure to Smoke from Swamp Cooler Air (FRESSCA–Mujeres) project is a collaboration with the Public Health Institute (PHI), the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN) to assess exposures to air pollutants among 50 female agricultural workers in Fresno, Kern, and Kings counties. Communities where FRESSCA-Mujeres participants reside are highly impacted by air pollution, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
FRESSCA-Mujeres is analyzing participants’ urine for chemicals that indicate exposure to air pollution. Up to 150 urine samples will be analyzed for metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals, as well as biomarkers of potential breast cancer risk (e.g., oxidative stress and inflammation). Air monitoring of the air pollutants, including PM2.5, will complement and help interpret the biomonitoring results. The project will also evaluate how well residential air filtration reduces overall exposures to these pollutants, under normal conditions and during a wildfire event, in homes that use evaporative or swamp coolers.
Participants will receive their biomonitoring results and information on actions to reduce their air pollution exposures. Results from FRESSCA-Mujeres will inform strategies to reduce air pollution exposures and build San Joaquin Valley communities’ capacity to protect their health.
Project Type:
Partial collaborationProject Status:
OngoingParticipants:
Up to 50 female agricultural workers.Sample Collection Date:
Sample Collection Area:
Fresno, Kern and Kings Counties, California
