Study of Cleaners in San Antonio: Immunologic and Inflammatory Responses to Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Exposure.
Project Overview
Individuals working as domestic cleaners, particularly in South Texas, are overwhelmingly Hispanic or Latina women and subject to numerous environmental and occupational hazards, including exposure to potentially toxic chemicals in cleaning agents and ambient exposures to VOCs in their residential environment.
We are building on an existing academic-community partnership to recruit 100 Hispanic women working as domestic cleaners in San Antonio TX and, using a community-engaged approach, assess these women’s total personal air exposure to VOCs, characterize determinants of exposure, and explore associations between total personal air VOC exposure and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress.
The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health is part of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health