Validation of a Robotic Surrogate for Measurement of Early Childhood Personal Exp

描述（由申请方提供）：本研究拟验证机器人替代品-幼儿可吸入颗粒物环境机器人（PIPER）采样器-用于收集研究人群中的颗粒物（PM）个人暴露量，该研究人群年龄太小，无法通过现有方法准确收集个人暴露量。暴露和剂量估计对于了解与环境有关的儿童疾病的病因至关重要。再悬浮PM的行为表明，在家中进行的固定一般区域测量可能会低估幼儿的这些暴露。此外，PM暴露的峰值水平可能对理解哮喘等儿童早期疾病的起源很重要。不幸的是，取样设备的尺寸和重量限制或排除了它们用于PM直接测量幼儿（如婴儿和幼儿（年龄>6至36个月））的接触情况。幼儿可吸入颗粒物环境机器人（PIPER Mk IV）是在过去5年中开发的，旨在为年龄太小而无法通过传统个人采样方法测量暴露的儿童提供一种替代方法，以确定PM的个人暴露。PIPER提供了一个移动的自主平台，可在其上安装个人采样设备。派珀已经被编程，以再现一个孩子的运动模式，而在地板上玩，就像一个孩子扰乱和重新悬浮沉降的灰尘。PIPER Mk IV是经过5年多的开发和测试的结果，并在参与NIEHS资助的研究（R 01-ES 014717）的50多个家庭的测试中证明了其可靠性。一个验证研究的替代个人采样方法，使用机器人代理（PIPER）幼儿接触PM。这项研究将通过在PIPER上安装相同的采样系统进行，并与100名儿童（50名男孩和50名女孩）在自己家中玩耍进行并排比较。将从现有PIPER哮喘研究的参与者和参与新泽西中部研究的儿科实践中招募年龄>24至36个月的儿童。这项验证研究的目的是为研究人员提供一种新的和新颖的工具，用于表征幼儿暴露于环境污染物。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The study proposes to validate a robotic surrogate - the Pre-toddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER) sampler - for collecting personal exposures of particulate matter (PM) in a study population which is too young to have personal exposure collected accurately by existing methodologies. Exposure and dose estimation are essential to understanding the etiology of environmentally linked childhood diseases. The behavior of resuspended PM suggests that stationary general area measurements taken in homes may underestimate these exposures in young children. Additionally, peak levels of PM exposure may be important in understanding the origins of early childhood conditions such as asthma. Unfortunately the size and weight of sampling equipment limit or preclude their use for PM direct measurements of exposures in very young children, such as infants and toddlers (ages >6 to 36 months). The Pre-toddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER Mk IV) has been developed over the last 5 years to provide a surrogate method to ascertain personal exposures to PM for children too young to have exposure measured by conventional personal sampling methodologies. PIPER provides a mobile autonomous platform on which to mount personal sampling devices. PIPER has been programmed to reproduce the pattern of a child's movement while at play on the floor, and as would a child disturbs and resuspends settled housedust. The PIPER Mk IV is the result of over 5 years of development and testing and has proven its reliability in tests in over 50 homes participating in an NIEHS funded (R01-ES014717) study. A validation study of an alternate personal sampling methodology using a robotic surrogate (PIPER) for young children's exposure to PM is proposed. The study will be carried out by mounting identical sampling systems on PIPER in side-by- side comparison with 100 children (50 boys and 50 girls) at play in their own homes. Children between >24 and 36 months of age will be recruited from participants of the existing PIPER Asthma Study and the pediatric practices participating in that study in central New Jersey. The goal of this validation study is to provide researchers with a new and novel tool for characterizing young children's exposure to environmental contaminants.