Developmental, Behavioral, and Environmental Determinants of Infant Dust Ingestion

This EPA-funded project (grant # 84020201-0 in response to RFA EPA-G2020-STAR-D1) adopts a unique transdisciplinary approach to yield a more detailed characterization of infant dust ingestion than previously possible. We will chart the entire pathway from behavior to dust content to transport and use mass balance modeling to tie these elements together. Our focus on developmental factors (infant motor skills) that influence mouthing behavior and infant access to dust-bearing floor surfaces and objects is highly innovative. For the first time, we will perform a systematic evaluation of specific home environment factors and practices that lead to elevated levels of individually identifiable toxicants ingestible by infants. This knowledge, in turn, will allow us to evaluate mitigation strategies to reduce infants’ exposure to harmful chemicals in dust. Through our process-oriented methodological framework, we will explicitly elucidate how behavioral-developmental and socio-environmental factors affect infant dust ingestion. Our mass balance model will be the first to fully capture the influence of particle size in affecting dust transport and ingestion in infant microenvironments. Our project will leverage state-of-the-art molecular characterization and chemical imaging techniques to identify emerging toxicants in indoor dust in urban and suburban U.S. homes. Novel use of video coding via Datavyu will enable efficient scoring of behavioral activities related to dust ingestion, including the frequency and duration of mouthing events and the behavioral and home environmental contexts in which they occur. Our commitment to open sharing of raw video and questionnaire data, processed data, protocols, and analysis scripts on Databrary (databrary.org) and project outcomes will support data reuse by researchers, enhance transparency and reproducibility, and increase awareness on chemicals in the home.