title: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Health Effects Research Centers Program: a midcourse report of status, progress, and plans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. lippmann@env.med.myu.edu
authors.forename: Morton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lippmann
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frampton
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dockery
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koutrakis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Froines
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nel
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godleski
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luchtel
authors.forename: L-J Sally
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oberdorster
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarnat
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sioutas
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utell
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zelikoff
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants