UC Researchers Host 1,000 Toddlers and Parents at Cincinnati Zoo

Environmental health researchers at the University of Cincinnati will host nearly 1,000 young children and parents for a day of fall fun and environmental education at the fourth annual Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) family picnic.

The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Safari Gallery from noon to 2 p.m.

The families are participants in a multi-year study to determine if infants who are exposed to diesel particles from truck exhaust are at higher risk of developing respiratory disorders such as asthma, hay fever and other allergies.

Grace LeMasters, PhD, an epidemiologist and principal investigator for CCAAPS, will explain the UC research team’s recent findings and offer practical advice on how to minimize children’s exposure to negative environmental factors. For example:

Visible mold and water damage in the home is associated with wheezing. Mold can be removed with a dilution of two cups of bleach in one gallon of water.

Homes with high indoor temperatures and low humidity have higher levels of cat, dog, dust mite and cockroach allergens. Using a HEPA vacuum lowers levels of the same allergens.

Most recently, the research team found that children who live within 100 meters (about the length of a football field) of a bus or state route are more likely to wheeze than those unexposed. The study is funded by the National Institute of Health Sciences and is in its fifth year.

All participants will receive free admission to the Cincinnati Zoo, lunch and prizes. The event is sponsored by AstraZeneca.