Enhancing Environmental Health Literacy and Reducing Indoor PM2.5 Through Accessible Interventions in Underserved Communities: A Pilot Study in Homewood, Pennsylvania

Indoor air pollution poses health risks, especially in resource-limited communities where inadequate ventilation contributes to exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3). These pollutants can worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions. This pilot study, conducted in Homewood, a historically underserved Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, neighborhood, aimed to improve environmental health literacy (EHL) and test low-cost interventions (i.e., MERV-13 HVAC filters and HEPA purifiers) paired with an EHL training module. Using AQMesh pods, indoor air quality was monitored in 9 homes and 1 outdoor reference site for 2 weeks pre- and post-intervention. Monitors measured PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and O3. Participants completed an Air Quality Index (AQI) quiz before and after EHL training, and spirometry was pilot tested to assess feasibility for future studies. Post-intervention, PM2.5 declined in 6 of 8 intervention homes (75%), with significant reductions in 3 homes and a significant increase in 1 home. Pooled data showed a 21% decline in mean PM2.5, although this finding was not statistically significant. AQI quiz scores improved in 7 of 9 participants (78%). No consistent changes were seen for gaseous pollutants. Our findings suggest that combining low-cost filtration or purifiers with EHL training can reduce particulate exposures, strengthen self-efficacy, and demonstrate feasibility of integrating spirometry into community-based indoor air quality research.