Air cleaners for homes of people with asthma or COPD in San Francisco
Tests home air cleaners for indoor air pollution in people with asthma or COPD.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Reducing Exposure With Air Cleaners and Technology
Key facts
- Where
- Berkeley and San Francisco, United StatesSee the 3 sites
Where in United States
- University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, United StatesNo longer taking part
- Brightline Defense ProjectSan Francisco, United StatesNo longer taking part
- University of California San FranciscoSan Francisco, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of California, Berkeley
- Trial code
- NCT07914010
- Record updated
- 5 November 2026
- Original description
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a type of air pollution made up of extremely tiny particles that can harm our health. Because PM2.5 particles are so small, they can travel deep into the lungs when inhaled. Exposure to PM2.5 can worsen asthma, cause breathing problems, increase the risk of heart attacks, and lead to early death, especially for people with existing heart or lung conditions. In California's Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP), a San Francisco community already facing high levels of air pollution and health impacts, sources of PM2.5 include industrial activity, commuter traffic, heavy-duty diesel trucks, freight trains, and port and maritime activities.Read full original descriptionShow less
Reducing Exposure With Air Cleaners and Technology (REACT) in At-Risk Communities
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a type of air pollution made up of extremely tiny particles that can harm our health. Because PM2.5 particles are so small, they can travel deep into the lungs when inhaled. Exposure to PM2.5 can worsen asthma, cause breathing problems, increase the risk of heart attacks, and lead to early death, especially for people with existing heart or lung conditions. In California's Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP), a San Francisco community already facing high levels of air pollution and health impacts, sources of PM2.5 include industrial activity, commuter traffic, heavy-duty diesel trucks, freight trains, and port and maritime activities.
The Reducing Exposure with Air Cleaners and Technology (REACT) Study is a partnership between University of California (UC) Berkeley, UC San Francisco, and Brightline Defense. The goal is to see if air cleaners (also called air purifiers) can help reduce indoor PM2.5 levels and improve respiratory health.
For this study, the investigators will be recruiting 100 households in BVHP to participate. In each home, indoor PM2.5 levels and the health status of household members who are 13 years old or older and have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be monitored. Each home will be part of the study for 90 to 120 days, depending on scheduling. Households must reside in BVHP for the duration of the study and not have used an air cleaner in their home within the last 6 months.
On Day 1, each household will receive a PurpleAir indoor air quality monitor to measure PM2.5 levels in their home.
* For the first 30 days, the investigators will measure the home's normal air quality (baseline). * After 30 days, each household will receive an air cleaner with information about how to best use it. * At that point, a PM2.5 indicator light will be turned on for half of the PurpleAir monitors. For the other half, indicator light will be kept turned off. This helps the investigators study whether seeing the air quality in real time changes how people use the air cleaner. * For the next 30 days, indoor PM2.5 levels will continue to be monitored. How often the air cleaner is used will also be tracked with smart plug data loggers. * After 60 days, more training and support will be offered to all participants and monitoring will continue over the final 30 days of the study.
Inclusion: Reside in Bayview Hunters Point as defined by the California Assembly Bill 617 (AB617) map, and; Have at least one residing person (≥13 years old) with a chronic respiratory health condition (asthma or COPD); Our overarching goal is to recruit one individual participant per household. However, if recruitment proves to be difficult, we will permit more than 1 individual (adult or participant) to participate, with no more than 2 individuals per household recruited. All individuals will be required to have a chronic respiratory heath condition.
Exclusion: Residents who report active use of air cleaners in the past 6 months, and; Those who plan to move during the 90-day study period will be excluded; There will be no exclusion criteria based on income, housing type, or health- or indoor air quality impactful behaviors like smoking indoors.