Early life air pollution and kids’ heart health: how metals in the air affect children from birth to age 12
Official title: Early life household air pollution, metal composition and cardiovascular health: Evidence from GRAPHS
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11554603 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how pollution from cooking fires and wood smoke in early life may shape a child’s heart health through age 12.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $123,916 |
| NIH project number | 3R01ES034433-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11554603 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children from birth up to 12 years old whose households experience household air pollution from cooking fires, wood stoves, or wildfire smoke.
✕Less likely to help
Children with no exposure to household air pollution or no plans for follow-up cardiovascular assessment may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow a birth cohort linked to the GRAPHS study to track how early exposure to household air pollution and metal pollutants impacts cardiovascular development in children from prenatal stages through age 12. The study builds on existing data to measure pollution exposure, metal content, and cardiovascular outcomes, aiming to identify critical windows and mechanisms of harm. Findings could inform prevention efforts to protect children in households affected by solid-fuel burning or wildfire smoke.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could guide community and policy actions to reduce early-life pollution exposure and improve long-term heart health for children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in similar birth cohorts have linked early pollution exposure to later cardiovascular changes, but this project adds metal composition analysis and a long-term age-12 outcome.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Alison G — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Lee, Alison G
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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.