What is the HEATS Project?
HEATS is one of the largest studies on air toxics ever undertaken
in Houston, and will help us better understand how toxics that
people breathe compare to toxics measured at stationary air
monitors.
The HEATS project is a two-year collaborative study involving
local universities; state, federal, and local government agencies;
and research organizations. HEATS will assess the relationship
between personal exposures and ambient concentrations of select
hazardous air pollutants by monitoring residential indoor, outdoor,
and personal air concentrations. HEATS will also examine
population-level health and risk perception through the
administration of questionnaires.
Target Areas
HEATS will study residents and air toxics in a two mile radius of
the Manchester neighborhood, near the Houston Ship Channel.
Additionally, the study will measure and compare levels in the
Aldine area, a demographically similar neighborhood that is not
near the Ship Channel.
Study Phases
Phase 1 (under way)—develop and test all
study tools and protocols (approximately six months);
Phase 2—pilot-test all tools and protocols
developed in Phase 1 (approximately one month);
Phase 3—conduct the full study in
approximately 100 households in each study area (approximately 12
months); and
Phase 4—complete all data analyses and draft
the final report (four to six months).
Why Conduct This Study and What Does It Seek to
Accomplish?
Traditional air pollution monitors are located in one spot (for
example, on the roof of an elementary school); however, people do
not typically breathe in just that particular spot, and likely have
different exposures to air toxics as they go about their daily
activities. Collecting personal exposure information will allow the
TCEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to better
understand if Houston residents’ daily exposure to air toxics
differs from what ambient monitoring data would suggest, whether
this exposure presents a potential health risk, and if so, how to
help effectively reduce that risk.
Hopefully, these data will help the TCEQ and the EPA develop more
effective strategies to reduce population risks by better linking
ambient source contributions (like automobiles, industrial
facilities, or consumer products) to actual exposures, as well as
guiding future studies on the potential links between environmental
exposures to air toxics and health effects.
Contributors and Funding Levels for the HEATS Project
|
Contributor |
Current Funding Amount* |
| TCEQ |
$476,585 |
| EPA Region 6 Grant to TCEQ |
$400,000 |
| Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research
Center (NUATRC) |
$275,000 |
| Houston Advanced Research Center–Texas
Environmental Research Consortium (HARC-TERC) |
$50,000 |
| East Harris County Manufacturers’
Association (EHCMA) |
$50,000 |
| Harris County |
Consultant / Project Adviser |
| City of Houston |
Consultant / Project Adviser |
| TOTAL
= |
$1,251,585 |
* Funding
amounts subject to change as project moves forward
TCEQ Points of Contact for the HEATS Project
|
Participant |
Title |
Affiliation |
| Mike Aplin |
Project Manager |
TCEQ |
Major Project Participant Points of Contact for the HEATS
Project
|
Participant |
Title |
Affiliation |
| Maria Morandi |
Principal Investigator |
University of Texas Health Science Center School
of Public Health—Houston |
| Thomas H. Stock |
Co-Principal Investigator |
University of Texas Health Science Center School
of Public Health—Houston |
| Craig Beskid |
Project Manager |
Mickey Leland NUATRC |
| Kuenja Chung |
Project Officer |
EPA—Region 6 |
| Ruben Casso |
Technical and Policy Advisor |
EPA—Region 6 |
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