Abstract
Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) compromises cardiovascular health (CV) by stimulating inflammatory reactions in blood vessels. We tested the effectiveness of indoor air filtration to reduce PM2.5 exposure and improve CV health in seniors living in a government-subsidized low-income apartment building. This facility is located in downtown Detroit, Michigan, where documented average indoor PM2.5 concentrations are more than twice the current annual US National Ambient Air Quality Standard. This facility is in an area where we have previously demonstrated that exposure to both ambient and personal PM2.5 is significantly associated with elevated blood pressure within 1–3 days after exposure. For the current study, we conducted a randomized crossover intervention study with repeat health and exposure measurements from 39 seniors exposed to unfiltered, low-efficient (LE) filtered, and high-efficiency (HE) filtered air. Preliminary results indicate that both LE and HE indoor filtration effectively reduce indoor and personal PM2.5 concentrations by 35–51%. Effects on cardiovascular outcomes and inflammation markers are pending. If shown to be effective, in-room air filtration offers a relatively inexpensive intervention to improve air quality and CV health in seniors living in areas of high air pollution.