Participants sought for air-quality research in Lake County

The University of Montana and the Center for Environmental Health Services are looking for Lake County residents as far north as Polson to participate in a research study over the next two years.

Parents who use wood-burning stoves as a primary heating source and have one or more children under the age of five within a certain radius of Missoula are eligible for the study.

One of the research specialists, Emily Weiler, said the study was meant to measure air quality in Montana under certain parameters.

“The point of the study is to measure the amount of indoor particulate in the air,” she said. “Then we want to do some simple intervention to reduce particulate and childhood disease.”

The study seeks to learn about the effects of different strategies for improving the air children breathe and see what associations they have with childhood respiratory health.

Participants will either get information on how to reduce particulate or will receive upright filtration equipment to just take the particulate out of the air.

A small monitoring device will be placed in homes (limited to within an hour-and-a-half drive from Missoula) and will be checked by researchers.

“I’ll visit the kiddos once a month,” Weiler said. “I’ll take their temperature, listen to their heartbeat, normal checkup things.”

Parents who participate in the study can receive up to $200 for one or two winters in the study. Contact 406-243-4055 or KidsAIR@umontana.edu for more information.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.