# Optimizing air purification strategies to reduce household PM2.5 exposure in Uganda

> **NIH NIH R21** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2024 · $272,910

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
While control of emissions is the most effective method of reducing air pollution exposure, people living in low
and middle-income countries (LMICs) are often exposed to many sources of air pollution simultaneously,
making a single intervention to reduce emissions difficult. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter-based
portable air cleaners (PACs) have been demonstrated to effectively reduce particulate matter (PM) exposure
regardless of the source, but several barriers have limited their use in LMIC settings. Our overall objective in
this research is to demonstrate that an optimized PAC platform can reduce PM exposure in an LMIC
household. Our central hypothesis is that PACs can reduce PM, can remain continuously powered, and can be
used consistently within an LMIC home. We propose to test this hypothesis among 20 households within an
established cohort in Uganda in a study with the following Specific Aims: 1) Identify and optimize
environmental factors that maximize PM reduction associated with PAC use in a real-world LMIC setting; 2)
Design and test the optimal power supply for a PAC in a setting with unreliable electricity; and 3) Determine the
feasibility, acceptability, and adherence to a PAC intervention in families of children with a history of
pneumonia. In Aim 1, we will perform a series of controlled experiments in simulation settings and real-world
experiments in rural and urban households to measure the effect of PAC filtration rate and location, building
characteristics, sources and concentration of air pollution, and seasonality on the efficacy of PM reduction. In
Aim 2, we will assess the characteristics of both the power supply and demand of the PAC system, determine
the optimal components of a solar and battery backup system for powering the PAC, and create analytic
models for various scenarios of power demand and availability. In Aim 3, we will administer structured surveys,
obtain time-activity diaries, and conduct focus group discussions among adults and children in the households
participating in real-world testing of PACs. We will perform a mixed methods evaluation focused on perceptions
of benefits vs. burdens of PAC use and identify predictors of efficacy and adherence. The output of this
research will provide the scientific justification for an R01-funded intervention trial of PACs in an LMIC setting.
Current options to reduce PM exposure for people living in LMICs are limited, but following this study and a
subsequent PAC intervention trial, clinicians and policymakers will have evidence to inform recommendations
for the use of PACs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10953009
- **Project number:** 1R21ES036797-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** PETER P MOSCHOVIS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $272,910
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-09 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10953009

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10953009, Optimizing air purification strategies to reduce household PM2.5 exposure in Uganda (1R21ES036797-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10953009. Licensed CC0.

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