| Effectiveness of an Integrated Pest Management Intervention in Controlling Cockroaches, Mice, and Allergens in New York City Public Housing Daniel Kass,1 Wendy McKelvey,1 Elizabeth Carlton,2 Marta Hernandez,1 Ginger Chew,2 Sean Nagle,2 Robin Garfinkel,2 Brian Clarke,3 Julius Tiven,3 Christian Espino,2 and David Evans2 1New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA; 2Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA; 3New York City Housing Authority, New York, New York, USA Abstract
Background: Cockroaches and mice, which are common in urban homes, are sources of allergens capable of triggering asthma symptoms. Traditional pest control involves the use of scheduled applications of pesticides by professionals as well as pesticide use by residents. In contrast, integrated pest management (IPM) involves sanitation, building maintenance, and limited use of least toxic pesticides. Objectives: We implemented and evaluated IPM compared with traditional practice for its impact on pests, allergens, pesticide use, and resident satisfaction in a large urban public housing authority. Methods: We assigned IPM or control status to 13 buildings in five housing developments, and evaluated conditions at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months in 280 apartments in Brooklyn and Manhattan, in New York City (New York) . We measured cockroach and mouse populations, collected cockroach and mouse urinary protein allergens in dust, and interviewed residents. All statistical models controlled for baseline levels of pests or allergens. Results: Compared with controls, apartments receiving IPM had significantly lower counts of cockroaches at 3 months and greater success in reducing or sustaining low counts of cockroaches at both 3 and 6 months. IPM was associated with lower cockroach allergen levels in kitchens at 3 months and in beds and kitchens at 6 months. Pesticide use was reduced in IPM relative to control apartments. Residents of IPM apartments also rated building services more positively. Conclusions: In contrast to previous IPM studies, which involved extensive cleaning, repeat visits, and often extensive resident education, we found that an easily replicable single IPM visit was more effective than the regular application of pesticides alone in managing pests and their consequences. Key words: allergen, asthma, cockroach, integrated pest management, mouse, New York City, pesticide, public housing. Environ Health Perspect 117:1219–1225 (2009) . doi:10.1289/ehp.0800149 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online15 April 2009]
Address correspondence to D.E. Kass, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy, 22 Cortlandt St., 12th Floor, CN-34E, New York, NY 10007 USA. Telephone: (212) 788-1219. Fax: (212) 442-2642. E-mail: dkass@health.nyc.gov We thank F. Francisco for recruiting participants and collecting study data and P. Diaz, T. Mordiglia, C. Murphy, and M. Ortiz for their help with data collection. We especially thank the residents’ associations and the residents of New York City Public Housing who generously opened their homes to us. This study was funded, in part, by contributions to the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants 5 P30 ES09089, P01 ES009600, 5 R01 ES008977, 5 R01 ES11158, 5 R01 ES012468, and 5 R01 ES10165) , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (grants R827027, 82860901, and RD-832141) , Irving General Clinical Research Center, Bauman Family Foundation, Gladys and Roland Harriman Foundation, New York Community Trust, Educational Foundation of America, The New York Times Company Foundation, Rockefeller Financial Services, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Beldon Fund, The John Merck Fund, and the September 11th Fund of the United Way and New York Community Trust. G.C. also received funding as a National Institutes of Health National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Fellow. The project was also supported by the New York City Council, and by substantial in-kind contributions from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Housing Authority. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 4 September 2008 ; accepted 15 April 2009.
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