Table 2 - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
Exposure to toxic chemicals in the home is a growing concern. This report presents an overview of the recruitment, methods for data collection, instruments used to collect data, and participant demographics for a study examining behaviors that influence exposure to environmental toxins in the home environment, also known as SUPERB (Study of Use of...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... III had full data completion rates (4 visits over 16 months), of 90% and 76% for northern and central California par- ticipants, respectively, nearly as high as Tier I first year data collection. Table 2 provides a description of contaminants we considered when deriving relevant questions for the sur- vey instruments. Thirteen categories of compounds were targeted for investigation based on their widespread use and high likelihood of being a source of contamination in the home environment. ...
Similar publications
Police suicides are an important problem, and many police forces have high rates. Montreal police suicide rates were slightly higher than other Quebec police rates in the 11 years before the program began (30.5/100,000 per year vs. 26.0/100,000).
To evaluate Together for Life, a suicide prevention program for the Montreal police.
All 4,178 members...
Purpose:
Kyungpook National University School of Medicine has been implementing hybrid problem-based learning (PBL) since 1999. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the students’ perceptions and satisfaction levels of hybrid PBL.
Methods:
The target period of our study was from 1999 to 2014, and target subjects were second-year...
Citations
... Various human activity surveys, cell phone records, smart phones, and activity tracker devices like Fitbit may provide additional sources of human behavior data that could be used within the ABMHAP framework [17]. Second, additional benefits from ABMHAP come from its potential to support the modeling of longitudinal exposures to a wide range of environmental stressors [18][19][20][21][22]. For example, by defining commuting time, ABMHAP can generate estimates of exposure to traffic related air pollutants. ...
Patterns of human behavior over extended periods of time are important for characterizing human exposure to hazardous chemicals. Because longitudinal behavior patterns for an individual are difficult to obtain, exposure-assessors have characterized such patterns by linking daily records from multiple individuals. In an earlier publication, we developed an alternative strategy that was based on agent-based simulation modeling. Specifically, we created a software program, Agent-Based Model of Human Activity Patterns (ABMHAP), that generates year-long longitudinal behavior patterns. In this paper, we both calibrate and evaluate ABMHAP using human behavior data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Consolidated Human Activity Database (CHAD). We use the longitudinal data (data on individuals' activities over multiple days) in CHAD to parameterize ABMHAP, and we use single-day behavior data from CHAD to evaluate ABMHAP predictions. We evaluate ABMHAP’s ability to simulate sleeping, eating, commuting, and working (or attending school) for four populations: working adults, nonworking adults, school-age children, and preschool children. The results demonstrate that ABMHAP, when parameterized with empirical data, can capture both interindividual and intraindividual variation in behaviors in different types of individuals. We propose that simulating annual activity patterns via ABMHAP may allow exposure-assessors to characterize exposure-related behavior in ways not possible with traditional survey methods.
... Traditionally, exposure assessors and modelers obtain information about exposure-related behaviors by surveying individuals about their daily activities [1]. Surveyed individuals complete diaries that capture a range of activities over time [2][3][4]; the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has developed a database of such information for use in exposure assessment, called the Consolidated Human Activity Database (CHAD) [5]. However, collecting representative amounts of survey data is difficult and labor-intensive, especially for durations longer than 1 day. ...
Exposure to a chemical is a critical consideration in the assessment of risk, as it adds real-world context to toxicological information. Descriptions of where and how individuals spend their time are important for characterizing exposures to chemicals in consumer products and in indoor environments. Herein we create an agent-based model (ABM) that simulates longitudinal patterns in human behavior. By basing the ABM upon an artificial intelligence (AI) system, we create agents that mimic human decisions on performing behaviors relevant for determining exposures to chemicals and other stressors. We implement the ABM in a computer program called the Agent-Based Model of Human Activity Patterns (ABMHAP) that predicts the longitudinal patterns for sleeping, eating, commuting, and working. We then show that ABMHAP is capable of simulating behavior over extended periods of time. We propose that this framework, and models based on it, can generate longitudinal human behavior data for use in exposure assessments.
... 39 Subsequent developments resulted in Webbased surveys, such as the iCHASE (Internet Computerized Household Activity Scheduling Elicitor) 39 and the SUPERB survey (Study of Use of Products and Exposure Related Behaviour). 40 Desktop and Web-based electronic diaries offer several advantages. They can have built-in consistency checks to enhance data quality, they can improve user guidance and they avoid human errors in manual data input. ...
Time–activity diaries kept by members of the general public indicate that on average people spend around 90% of their time indoors, this is associated with considerable exposure to air pollutants as not only is there infiltration of pollutants from outdoors, there are also emissions indoors that can lead to elevated pollutant concentrations. Despite this, and the fact that the WHO produces air quality guidelines for indoor air, the only statutory requirements for monitoring of airborne pollutant concentrations relate to the outdoor environment. Given its importance as a source of air pollution exposure, increasing attention is being given to pollution of the indoor environment.
This volume considers both chemical and biological pollutants in the indoor atmosphere from their sources to chemical and physical transformations, human exposure and potential effects on human health. It is a valuable reference for those working in in environmental policy, civil and environmental engineering as well as for atmospheric chemists.
... 17 categories of products were taken into account including shampoo, facial moisturizer, hair styling products, fragrance or sun block (see Table 3 for a full list). Results were presented for the whole household (Bennett et al., 2012;Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010). ...
According to the European Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009, cosmetic products should be safe for human health when used under normal or foreseeable conditions of use. To perform a safety evaluation, consumption data of finished cosmetic product are necessary to assess the corresponding consumer's exposure. The aim of this review was to highlight consumption (percentage of users, frequency of use, amount used, number of products daily used, types of products co-used …) and exposure data to cosmetic products available in the literature. A systematic approach was used following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. Literature search was performed in February 2018 using Pubmed and Scopus databases. The following information was collected for the 82 publications included in this review: type of study, characteristics of the population (number, age, sex, region of origin), period of data collection, types of products studied, method(s) of data collection, consumption and/or exposure parameters obtained. Because of the high number of quantitative results obtained in the different studies, these data are not presented here. Readers interested in one or more studies are invited to consult the results available in the original publication(s). This work could be very useful for safety assessors or other persons working in the risk assessment field.
... These can be done by online, self-administered questionnaires, via telephone or face-to-face. While response rates and engagement of the interviewees is higher in face-toface settings than online, these are also more time-consuming and costly (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010). Some large studies have evaluated the knowledge and assessment of household chemicals in general by consumers. ...
Biocidal products are commonly used in households and can pose a risk to human health and the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumers' use and understanding of biocidal products in order to identify starting points for minimising their exposure to these products and reducing possible emissions to the environment. In a case study, standardised questionnaires were used to interview consumers in 133 households in three neighbourhoods in Northern Germany, representing the urban-rural typologies in Europe: predominantly urban, intermediate and predominantly rural regions. The questions focussed on the comprehension of the term 'biocide', pest control habits, sources of information, risk perception of different product groups and possible emission reduction measures. Only 21% of the respondents understood the term 'biocide' correctly, whereas 29% thought of 'something that had to do with organic pest control', and 28% were not able to think of a possible meaning. The risk perception of biocidal products compared to plant protection products varied depending on the living conditions. In the urban neighbourhood, biocidal products were perceived as more dangerous than in the rural area. The main pests to be fought were ants, mould and fruit fly. The results of the study indicate that there is a considerable difference between the types of biocidal products that interviewees claimed to own and those that they actually did have in their households. Most notably, respondents did not realise that they owned surface disinfectants. This result indicates that consumers often seem not to be aware of using specific biocidal products. Also, this shows the limitations of collecting data on products owned with only one method, as the results from products inventories of the households deviate from the data collected in interviews. Our results show that the term 'biocide' is not fully understood by many people. To communicate possible risks of biocidal products, other terms would have to be used. Online information regarding general facts on necessary general hygiene measures and biocidal products against bacteria and insects are likely to be of highest relevance for consumers. However, risk communication for biocidal products in general is difficult because consumers are often not aware of using biocidal products. For this reason, information and awareness raising campaigns should be accompanied by further measures such as sales restrictions for specific user-groups or prohibitions of certain uses for a sustainable use of biocidal products.
... For children, recruiting can be carried out in kindergartens or schools; newly-born children or those affected by specific pathologies can be recruited from hospitals; and participants from the general population can be recruited from records such as census lists, etc. (Cêrná et al., 2012;Fiddike et al., 2015). The first contact with potential subjects can be made in a number of ways; many authors favour telephone calls (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010), while others propose direct contact at the school gate or by newsletters. (Fiddicke et al., 2015), or visits to prenatal clinics to directly invite possible subjects to participate, as in the National HBM program in Slovenia (Perharic and Vracko, 2012). ...
... The recruitment of participants is crucial, and although we finally succeeded in this task, it's worth noting that the main difficulty we encountered, also referred to in other studies (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010), was the parents' claim that they had no time to participate. Parents who finally wanted to participate, asked many questions about the programme and, in particular, the feedback they were going to obtain, as well as the data protection.Table SD-2 shows the number of scheduled participants and the finally recruited ones. ...
... telephone interviews , self-administered (e.g. Internet) surveys or on-site visits (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010). Each of these methods has disadvantages. ...
... However, on-site visits are the most promising approach to collect detailed information. During the visits, it is especially important for the acceptance of households, to establish trust between researchers and interviewees and to minimise the time needed (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010). A highly sufficient approach to reduce the time required is the use of barcode scanners to inventory present products either by the researcher (Bennett et al., 2012 ) or by the consumer (Hall et al., 2007). ...
... One of the first studies was by Weegels and van Veen (2001), who investigated the frequency of use of cleaning products. The USEPA-funded study (SUPERB -Study of Use of Products and Exposure-Related Behaviour) was focused on the use of cleaning products and air fresheners in California (Hertz-Picciotto et al., 2010). Within this study, frequency of use for eight products and their performance during the cleaning tasks was collected in three annual telephone and six quarterly web-based surveys (Moran et al., 2012). ...
Consumer products are frequently and regularly used in the domestic environment. Realistic estimates for product use are required for exposure modelling and health risk assessment. This paper provides significant data that can be used as input for such modelling studies. A European survey was conducted, within the framework of the DG Sanco-funded EPHECT project, on the household use of 15 consumer products. These products are all-purpose cleaners, kitchen cleaners, floor cleaners, glass and window cleaners, bathroom cleaners, furniture and floor polish products, combustible air fresheners, spray air fresheners, electric air fresheners, passive air fresheners, coating products for leather and textiles, hair styling products, spray deodorants and perfumes. The analysis of the results from the household survey (1st phase) focused on identifying consumer behaviour patterns (selection criteria, frequency of use, quantities, period of use and ventilation conditions during product use). This can provide valuable input to modelling studies, as this information is not reported in the open literature. The above results were further analysed (2nd phase), to provide the basis for the development of 'most representative worst-case scenarios' regarding the use of the 15 products by home-based population groups (housekeepers and retired people), in four geographical regions in Europe. These scenarios will be used for the exposure and health risk assessment within the EPHECT project. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that daily worst-case scenarios are presented in the scientific published literature concerning the use of a wide range of 15 consumer products across Europe.
Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
... Personal hygiene and house/clothing cleaning were the most frequently used products with extension to products used for more aesthetic reasons such as deodorisers and air fresheners. These usage patterns are consistent with findings from other United States studies such as the 'Study of use of products and exposure-related behaviours" (SUPERB) (Bennett et al. 2012;Hertz-Picciotto et al. 2010) and the "Household exposure" study of the Silent Spring Institute (Dunagan et al. 2011) indicating limited population differences. ...
Background: The number of chemicals in household products has driven concern about potential adverse health through their use. Most research concentrates on product chemicals with reproductive and carcinogenic consequences, however some evidence exists that immune effects can lead to exacerbation of autoimmune illnesses such as lupus (SLE).
Objectives: This paper examines household and personal product exposure patterns in a pilot case/control study of female Australians. We also examined associations between common product exposure and SLE symptom exacerbation over a year period.
Methods: We enrolled 41 control and 80 SLE participants aged 18–80 years. Qualitative techniques of structured interview and thematic analysis retrospectively explored patterns of product use, and flare history data of SLE participants. Negative binomial regression models explored associations between self-reported flare (SRF) days and exposure to 34 common home product groups.
Results: Mean product counts did not differ between participant groups (mean 33.1: SD 11.8), or flare groups (flare mean 32.6:SD 12, no-flare 31.8:SD 6.6). Products used for personal hygiene and general house cleaning were most frequently used.Significant association with increased SRF day relative risk (IRR) was seen for bath oil use (IRR 1.008, CI 1.00–1.02). Paradoxical “protective” effects, (reduced SRF days) were found for cleansing beauty (IRR 0.999, CI 0.998–0.999), make-up (IRR 0.998, CI 0.997–0.999); adhesives (IRR 0.994, CI 0.991–0.997) and paint (IRR 0.99, CI 0.986–0.995).
Conclusions: Everyday product exposures can impact on symptom exacerbation in SLE. Some offering protection and others increased health risk. Identifying environmental associations offer the possibility of life-style interventions to reduce illness impact.
... Briefly, in 2005Briefly, in -2007 SUPERB study enrolled one parent and one child of 499 Northern California families with a child born between 2000 and 2005. Families were identified and randomly selected through birth certificate records for 22 counties in the greater Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding areas (see Hertz-Picciotto et al. (2010) for details). ...
Certain phenols and phthalates are used in many consumer products including personal care products (PCPs).
We aimed to study the associations between the use of PCPs and urinary concentrations of biomarkers of select phenols and phthalates among Californian adults and their children. As an additional aim we compared phenols and phthalate metabolites concentrations measured in adults and children urine samples collected the same day.
Our study relied on a subsample of 90 adult-child pairs participating in the Study of Use of Products and Exposure Related Behavior (SUPERB). Each adult and child provided one to two urine samples in which we measured concentrations of selected phenols and phthalate metabolites. We computed Spearman correlation coefficients to compare concentrations measured in adults and children urine samples collected the same day. We used adjusted linear and Tobit regression models to study the associations between the use of PCPs in the past 24h and biomarker concentrations.
Benzophenone-3 and parabens concentrations were higher in adults compared to their children. Conversely children had higher mono-n-butyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate concentrations. No significant difference was observed for the other compounds. The total number of different PCPs used was positively associated with urinary concentrations of methyl, propyl and butyl parabens and the main metabolite of diethyl phthalate in adults. Among children, the use of a few specific products including liquid soap, hair care products and sunscreen was positively associated with urinary concentrations of some phenols or phthalate metabolites.
These results strengthen the body of evidence suggesting that use of PCPs is an important source of exposure to parabens and diethyl phthalate in adults and provide data on exposure to selected phenols and phthalates through use of PCPs in children.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
