The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Health Effects Research Centers Program: a midcourse report of status, progress, and plans.
In 1998 Congress mandated expanded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) health effects research on ambient air particulate matter (PM) and a National Research Council (NRC) committee to provide research oversight. The U.S. EPA currently supports intramural and extramural PM research, including five academically based PM centers. The PM centers in their first 2.5 years have initiated research directed at critical issues identified by the NRC committee, including collaborative activities, and sponsored scientific workshops in key research areas. Through these activities, there is a better understanding of PM health effects and scientific uncertainties. Future PM centers research will focus on long-term effects associated with chronic PM exposures. This report provides a synopsis of accomplishments to date, short-term goals (during the next 2.5 years) and longer-term goals. It consists of six sections: biological mechanisms, acute effects, chronic effects, dosimetry, exposure assessment, and the specific attributes of a coordinated PM centers program.
Lippmann
Morton
M
New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. lippmann@env.med.myu.edu
Frampton
Mark
M
Schwartz
Joel
J
Dockery
Douglas
D
Schlesinger
Richard
R
Koutrakis
Petros
P
Froines
John
J
Nel
Andre
A
Finkelstein
Jack
J
Godleski
John
J
Kaufman
Joel
J
Koenig
Jane
J
Larson
Tim
T
Luchtel
Dan
D
Liu
L-J Sally
LJ
Oberdorster
Gunter
G
Peters
Annette
A
Sarnat
Jeremy
J
Sioutas
Constantinos
C
Suh
Helen
H
Sullivan
Jeff
J
Utell
Mark
M
Wichmann
Erich
E
Zelikoff
Judith
J
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000506:poisoning*; D003625:Data Collection; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D010316:Particle Size; D011634:Public Health; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
D000393:Air Pollutants