# The Salton Sea and Children's Health: Assessing Imperial Valley Respiratory Health and the Environment

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2020 · $576,973

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Across the southwestern US, particulate matter (PM) in the form of wind-blown dust is emerging as an
increasingly prevalent exposure of public health concern. Changing weather patterns, droughts and competing
water demands are dramatically altering the landscape and creating conditions conducive to the production of
wind-blown dust and dust storms. In California, such factors are leading to the rapid shrinking of the Salton
Sea, a 350-square mile land-locked “sea” situated near the southeastern rural border region known as the
Imperial Valley. A regional water transfer agreement will accelerate the Sea’s drying and it is anticipated that
large swaths of the lakebed will become exposed, leaving behind highly emissive salt flats containing toxic
metals, pesticides, and other potentially harmful contaminants. As a result, the region is anticipated to
experience a dramatic increase in wind-blown dust and existing studies suggest a significant impact on the
health and quality of life for nearby residents of this predominantly low-income, Mexican-American community.
The overall goal of this study is to develop a community-academic partnership to determine the health effects
of childhood exposures to wind-blown PM and inform public health action in the Imperial Valley. There is an
urgent need to understand the respiratory and other health effects of the shrinking Sea as little is known about
whether chronic exposure to wind-blown PM is linked to the development of respiratory disease or impairment
over time, especially in vulnerable populations. In collaboration with both academic and state partners, a local
community organization, Comite Civico del Valle (CCV), has developed the largest community air monitoring
network in the country and is uniquely situated to measure and identify localized dust events in the Imperial
Valley. We will leverage this unique air monitoring resource coupled with community-engaged epidemiological
approach to understand how the rapid drying of the Salton Sea will impact local levels of PM and affect
children’s respiratory health and related atopic conditions over time using exhaled biomarkers. The results of
this work will be shared with the community to increase the capacity of teachers and parents to take measures
to reduce school, home and community exposures. Our work will provide an opportunity to build an evidence
base to increase the environmental health literacy of community health workers and health care professionals
and communicate key findings of the study. This study will build a novel base of evidence to assess impacts of
wind-blown PM on children’s health and through participatory research, enhance the capacity of the Imperial
Valley community to address the environmental and public health impacts of the anticipated rapid desiccation
of the nearby Salton Sea.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9916754
- **Project number:** 5R01ES029598-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Shohreh F Farzan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $576,973
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9916754

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9916754, The Salton Sea and Children's Health: Assessing Imperial Valley Respiratory Health and the Environment (5R01ES029598-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9916754. Licensed CC0.

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