Pollution exposures from the Tijuana River watershed affecting nearby U.S. border communities
Official title: RP-Sant/Quintana: Assessment of Exposure to Microbial and Chemical Pollution in US Community Air from the Binational Tijuana River Watershed
Funded at San Diego State University · NIH-11313850 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how air and water pollution from the Tijuana River watershed affects children in nearby San Ysidro and Imperial Beach and tests a home-based way to lower those exposures.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2018 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,539 |
| NIH project number | 5U54MD012397-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11313850 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children (and their caregivers) aged 0–11 who live in or spend time in San Ysidro, Imperial Beach, or nearby U.S. border neighborhoods affected by the Tijuana River watershed.
✕Less likely to help
People who live well outside the Tijuana River watershed or whose exposures come from unrelated sources are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If your family lives near the Tijuana River, researchers will sample air, water, and indoor environments to find chemicals and microbes coming from sewage and industrial runoff. They will use advanced chemical testing and genetic (metagenomic) methods to identify toxic pollutants and antibiotic-resistance genes. The team will offer and try a home-based intervention aimed at reducing children’s exposure in homes and child-care settings. They will compare exposure levels and health-related measures before and after the intervention to see if it helps.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower children’s exposure to pollution in affected border communities and reduce related health risks.
How similar studies have gone: The project builds on prior local pilot work that found chemical contaminants and antibiotic-resistance genes, and it uses established lab methods, while the specific home-based intervention in this setting is promising but not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
-
San Diego State University
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sant, Karilyn Elizabeth — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Sant, Karilyn Elizabeth
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.