Stockton Air Pollution Exposure Project (SAPEP)
Study of air pollution exposures in school children in Stockton
The Stockton Air Pollution Exposure Project (SAPEP) is a collaboration with the University of California (Berkeley CERCH, Merced, and San Francisco), Little Manila Rising, and All Saints Academy of Stockton. As an AB 617 community, Stockton is heavily impacted by air pollution exposures, with a CalEnviroScreen rank in the top 5% for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). This community is also burdened by economic, social, and health inequities.
SAPEP is measuring chemicals in children’s urine samples that indicate exposure to air pollution, including metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The project will also evaluate how well air filtration reduces those exposures, which will help communities across the state.
Study participants will include up to 60 children at All Saints Academy of Stockton, which has a culturally diverse, multi-ethnic student body. One parent/guardian for each child will also be enrolled in the study to assist with the child’s urine collection and complete exposure questionnaires. Child participants will provide a total of 4 urine samples collected before school and after school on two days during the weeks of December 6 and 13, 2021. By comparing the biomonitoring results before and after a school day, we can look at the effects of school air filtration on children’s air pollution exposures. We expect the laboratories to complete the analyses of urine samples by April 2022.
To help us interpret the biomonitoring results, we will also measure air quality in the classrooms and common areas inside the school, as well as at outside locations on school grounds. This will include analyzing air samples for selected PAHs and VOCs and monitoring PM2.5.
We will send packets with the children’s individual biomonitoring results to parents who want to receive those, along with information on actions families can take to reduce their air pollution exposures. We will also present summaries of our findings to the school and the larger Stockton community.
Project Type:
Full project collaborationProject Status:
OngoingParticipants:
Up to 60 children, and one parent for each child.Sample Collection Date:
Sample Collection Area:
Stockton, California
