TracMyAir Smartphone and Web App

Real-time exposure model to determine personal PM2.5, ozone, and heat exposures for research (e.g., epidemiologic studies) and public health applications

Impact/Purpose

Air pollution epidemiology studies of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone(O3) often use outdoor concentrations as exposure surrogates. Failure to account for the variabilityof the indoor infiltration of ambient PM2.5 and O3, and time indoors, can induce exposure errors.We developed an exposure model called TracMyAir, which is an iPhone application (“app”) thatdetermines seven tiers of individual-level exposure metrics in real-time for ambient PM2.5 and O3 usingoutdoor concentrations, weather, home building characteristics, time-locations, and time-activities.We linked a mechanistic air exchange rate (AER) model, a mass-balance PM2.5 and O3 buildinginfiltration model, and an inhaled ventilation model to determine outdoor concentrations (Tier 1),residential AER (Tier 2), infiltration factors (Tier 3), indoor concentrations (Tier 4), personal exposurefactors (Tier 5), personal exposures (Tier 6), and inhaled doses (Tier 7). The capability of TracMyAir could help reduceuncertainty of ambient PM2.5 and O3 exposure metrics used in epidemiology studies.

Citation

Breen, M. TracMyAir Smartphone and Web App. EPA 2024 Ozone Kickoff Workshop, durham, NC, May 13 - 16, 2024.