Short Bio

Dr. Angela Aherrera is an exposure scientist and environmental epidemiologist in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.  She completed her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and received her doctoral and post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine. Her research largely focuses on environmental hazards and understanding their role in the development and prevention of adverse respiratory health outcomes. As a NIEHS-FDA K99/R00 grantee, she is currently investigating the exposure and toxicity of chemical constituents of concern, namely metals and aldehydes, in electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) that are popularly used among youth and young adults. She was also awarded NIOSH pilot funding to evaluate airborne microplastics in an occupational setting. She is currently assessing microfibers, the most dominant type of microplastic in the environment, in the garment industry, and developing a method of sample microfibers representative of what is seen in indoor environments in order to evaluate how inhalation of these hazards impacts the general population.

Abstract

Emerging airborne exposures that are ubiquitous and known or suspected to be harmful to human health warrant attention. The use of disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has grown in popularity among youth and young adults despite critical knowledge gaps regarding their chemical constituents and health effects. Another emerging contaminant are microplastics, which have formed as a consequence of exponential growth in global plastic production and use, yet their inhalation impacts are not fully understood. In this seminar, Dr. Aherrera will mainly cover exposure to metals and aldehydes from e-cigarette use and their impact on respiratory health, including inflammation. She will also cover pilot findings from occupational exposures of airborne microfibers, the most dominant type of microplastic in an indoor garment factory setting.