A Wearable Device for Airborne Hazard and Burn Pit Exposure Monitoring
Abstract
Topic Area: This proposed project addresses the Topic Area: Burn Pit Exposure. It specifically addresses the Area of Encouragement for the development and validation of sensors/instruments for assessing (including in real time) area and/or individual levels of exposure to airborne hazards for use in research and for occupational and environmental exposure monitoring. Overview: Military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, from 2003 to the present, have served in an environment that includes exposures to airborne hazards including dust storms and burning trash in open air burn pits ignited with jet fuel. Depending on trash burned – water bottles, styrofoam trays, medical waste, unexploded munitions, and computers – toxins may be released. Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is also generated. Studies conducted in nonmilitary populations raise concern about the potential negative effects of PM exposure on lung function in deployers. Returning military personnel had more frequent post-deployment health encounters than nondeployed personnel for respiratory symptoms and for airway disease, mainly asthma. Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) has developed the Modular Total Exposure Health Sensor (MoTES) via an Air Force SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I and active Phase II. The MoTES is a wearable device that monitors exposure to various gases and particulates. Its modular sensors can be swapped, allowing customization for various environments and situations. The compact, lightweight MoTES can run for 10 hours in order to monitor a full workday. Data is stored onboard and displayed via a color LCD screen. The MoTES can be modified/developed to collect long-term, personally relevant, low-level data from burn pit exposure. Critical Problem to Be Addressed: Data gathering on burn pits is inconsistent and low resolution. This makes it so that this data can’t reasonably be applied to an individual. In turn, this means that this data doesn’t help in determining exposure limits, exposure policies, and personal protective equipment (PPE) needs. It also doesn’t help clinicians care for individuals who may have been exposed. Veterans’ access to care and quality of care are compromised. Originally developed for flight line monitoring and total exposure health assessments, the MoTES can be readily adapted to monitoring individual levels of exposure to airborne hazards present in the vicinity of burn pits. Current gas monitoring devices do not measure particulates and are designed primarily for short-term sampling and warning, not for long-term wear. The MoTES weighs less than a pound, while many common monitoring devices weigh around 2 lbs. CRG, in collaboration with Dr. Anthony Szema, Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), and the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, proposes to demonstrate the utility of the MoTES in informing individual and group decisions regarding exposure limits, exposure policies, and PPE policies. Our aims are to: 1. Modify the MoTES to improve its suitability for burn pit monitoring. 2. Demonstrate that the MoTES provides data that correlates with respiratory outcomes of cell cultures and mice exposed to a simulated burn pit. 3. Demonstrate the performance of the MoTES during routinely scheduled firefighter training (a relevant field environment) and correlate respiratory data of said firefighters. To accomplish these aims, CRG proposes to adapt the MoTES for use in the vicinity of burn pits by adding appropriate gas sensors, ruggedizing its overall design, adding wireless data transmission, and refining the software for calibration and providing alerts. The team will demonstrate the MoTES in WUSTL’s simulated burn pit, exposing cell cultures and mice in parallel. The team will also demonstrate the utility of the MoTES in a relevant field environment: the training grounds of the highly active Suffolk County Fire Academy. Ultimate Applicability and Impac
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2211062
Entities
People
- Mark Cridge
Organizations
- Cornerstone Research Group
- United States Army