Reducing harmful indoor vapor pollution that affects pregnancy
Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research
This center works with Detroit communities to lower indoor vapor pollution and protect pregnant people and their babies from exposures linked to preterm birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11122261 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will measure chemicals that seep into homes from nearby landfills and Superfund sites and test people for exposure and inflammation markers during pregnancy. Teams based in Detroit will combine environmental sampling, engineering fixes to prevent vapor intrusion, and biomedical testing of pregnant people and newborns to see how exposures relate to early birth and health. The work brings together multiple projects and support cores to find practical ways to reduce exposures and identify early warning signs. Community-focused prevention strategies and monitoring will be developed and piloted in neighborhoods with high contamination risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people or those planning pregnancy who live in Detroit neighborhoods near landfills, brownfields, or Superfund sites would be ideal candidates to take part.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, live far from affected areas, or whose health problems are unrelated to volatile organic compound exposures are unlikely to see direct benefits from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower preterm births and improve maternal and infant health by reducing indoor chemical exposures and finding early biomarkers of harm.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked VOC exposures to preterm birth and identified exposure pathways and some biomarkers, but comprehensive community-centered prevention efforts like this remain relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Detroit, United States
- Wayne State University — Detroit, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Runge-Morris, Melissa a — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Runge-Morris, Melissa a
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.