Asian/Pacific Islander Community Exposures (ACE) Project

The Asian/Pacific Islander Community Exposures (ACE) Project is measuring levels of selected metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) in urine and/or blood, and levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in serum.  For the first phase of the ACE Project, ACE 1, we recruited Chinese adult participants who had lived in the San Francisco Bay area for at least one year. In ACE 2, the project was expanded to include Vietnamese adult participants. We hope to conduct additional phases of the ACE Project to include other Asian/Pacific Islander (API) groups (e.g., Hmong).

The API community appears to have higher levels of certain chemicals, including metals and PFASs, compared to people from other ethnic/racial groups. Factors affecting levels of these chemicals could include dietary preferences, such as regular consumption of fish and rice, and the use of traditional remedies, such as some herbal medicines. Information from the ACE Project will expand our understanding of chemical exposures in the API community, which makes up approximately 14% of the California population.

Biomonitoring California conducted the ACE Project in collaboration with community partners to:

• Engage with community leaders, including providing information on biomonitoring and how it can support community health
• Recruit participants and conduct exposure assessment interviews with bilingual staff as needed
• Collect blood and urine samples
• Measure levels of selected metals and PFASs
• Develop culturally and language-appropriate project materials
• Report laboratory results to individuals
• Present overall study results to the community