Air pollution and heat effects on kidney health in Central American women
Air pollutants, heat exposure, and kidney health: A longitudinal study in women in Central America
This project looks at whether breathing polluted air and working in hot conditions is linked to kidney damage in women who work in agriculture in Central America.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306081 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will follow about 200 female sugarcane and agricultural workers over several years and take air measurements during typical 8-hour work periods. They will measure tiny particles, silica, and metals in the air during high-exposure harvest times and during the off-season, and collect blood and other samples to check for signs of kidney injury, cell stress, and inflammation. The team focuses on women because most past work looked at men, and they will consider both workplace and in-home air exposures such as cooking smoke and ambient pollution. Repeat measurements across three years aim to link exposure patterns with early signs of kidney harm.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult women who live and work in agricultural communities in Guatemala or Nicaragua, especially sugarcane workers with regular exposure to heat and dust.
Not a fit: People who do not live or work in the study communities or who have no regular exposure to agricultural dust, heat, or household air pollution are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific airborne hazards and times of high risk so prevention steps can be targeted to protect women from chronic kidney disease.
How similar studies have performed: Most previous CKDu research focused on male workers and on heat or pesticides, so linking airborne particles and metals to kidney injury in women is relatively new though environmental exposures have been implicated in other kidney studies.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Newman, Lee S — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Newman, Lee S
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.