2001-2004: Children’s asthma incidence is
high in Berks County compared to rest of PA (PA Dept of Health
school reported data)
Apr. 2004: Berks County is classified as “nonattainment
” by U.S. EPA for fine particulate (PM2.5) air pollution
as well as nonattainment for ground-level ozone pollution
Jun. 2004: Berks County Environmental Advisory Council
(EAC) is created and advises that nonattainment status is
both a public health concern and an economic development concern
for attracting new manufacturing or expanding existing county
industry
Dec. 2005: U.S. EPA identifies air toxics concerns
in Berks in their NATA study, but the study is not based on
actual air monitoring data
Jan. 2006: Berks County Commissioners fund an air
pollution study
Apr. 2006: County meetings with PA DEP to request
improved air monitoring in Berks
Aug. 2006: Pennsylvania Institute for Children’s
Environmental Health (PICEH) is founded at Kutztown University
and proposes partnership with PA DEP to better monitor and
research Berks air quality; PICEH research goals and projects
are developed for analyzing DEP monitoring data and for other
environmental research projects in Berks County
Oct. 2006: PA DEP provides formal commitment to
Berks County for improved air monitoring equipment, to a second
air monitoring location at KU campus, and to PICEH partnership
and DEP training for operation of additional air quality monitors
Aug. 2007: County of Berks signs agreement for 15-year
funding for PICEH research through landfill environmental
legal settlement monies
Oct. 2007: PICEH air monitoring station begins operation
at Kutztown University including ozone, PM2.5 and air toxics
monitors
Apr. 2008: PICEH unveils www.PICEHAir.org
website to display real-time ozone and PM2.5 pollution data
from 17 southeastern PA monitoring sites
WHY OUR STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT PICEH RESEARCH?
• Partnership with County, PA DEP and Kutztown University
to study county air pollution and children’s health
• Create a center of excellence in the county for environmental
health studies and research, education, and outreach
• Participation in a partnership to understand causes
of air pollution and to contribute to development of PA DEP
nonattainment plans to ensure both protection of county air
quality resources and to promote responsible industrial and
economic growth
• Obtain objective information for informed government
decisions about local pollution control measures for activities
like vehicle idling, open burning, traffic congestion, etc.
• Transform Berks County image from one based on industrial
legacy and past pollution problems to a healthy place to live
with a proactive county government and academic and high-tech
centers of excellence
• Achieve a better understanding of the risks of air
pollution by analyzing speciated PM2.5 and air toxics data
collected over next years in Berks County and other locations
in PA and compare with U.S. EPA estimates of air pollution
risk
• Deploy additional air monitoring and meteorological
equipment (with PA DEP training and support) to better understand
pollution transport into southeastern PA and local air pollution
concerns
• Protect the area’s air quality, ensure responsible
progress towards air pollution attainment status, and support
children’s environmental health education and research
RESEARCH GOALS
1. Promote cooperative partnership with university and county,
state and federal government agencies to research children's
environmental health issues. Utilize government environmental
monitoring and release data to assess correlation between
air pollution and children's’ health.
2. Collect and analyze environmental data in an impartial,
objective manner without advocacy. Gather and analyze data
to allow informed policy decision making. Ensure that human
health risks from environmental factors are appropriately
characterized to allow policy makers to compare risks knowledgeably.
3. Review children’s asthma incidence data in Pennsylvania
(from PA school reporting data and hospital admittance data)
and relate to air pollution levels and assess relative risks
from indoor air quality and allergen factors.
4. Evaluate other children's health morbidity incidence that
may relate environmental factors, including respiratory conditions,
cardiovascular disease, blood toxin levels, and neurological
conditions.
5. Identify appropriate epidemiological studies to better
evaluate extent of air pollution and children's health impacts.
6. Analyze ambient air PM2.5 monitoring data for speciated
composition and for spatial variation in Berks County and
elucidate which species of air pollutants correlate with high
PM2.5 episodes and children's health episodes.
7. Examine the causes of elevated air pollution and children's
health episodes by source apportionment analyses.
8. Analyze air toxics monitoring data and compare with EPA
NATA studies and with health-based screening levels.
