Particulate matter (PM) research centers (1999-2005) and the role of interdisciplinary center-based research.
OBJECTIVE
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded five academic centers in 1999 to address the uncertainties in exposure, toxicity, and health effects of airborne particulate matter (PM) identified in the "Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter" of the National Research Council (NRC). The centers were structured to promote interdisciplinary approaches to address research priorities of the NRC. In this report, we present selected accomplishments from the first 6 years of the PM Centers, with a focus on the advantages afforded by the interdisciplinary, center-based research approach. The review highlights advances in the area of ultrafine particles and traffic-related health effects as well as cardiovascular and respiratory effects, mechanisms, susceptibility, and PM exposure and characterization issues.


METHODS
The collective publications of the centers served as the data source. To provide a concise synthesis of overall findings, authors representing each of the five centers identified a limited number of topic areas that serve to illustrate the key accomplishments of the PM Centers program, and a consensus statement was developed.


CONCLUSIONS
The PM Centers program has effectively applied interdisciplinary research approaches to advance PM science.
Fanning
Elinor W
EW
Center for Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. efanning@ucla.edu
Froines
John R
JR
Utell
Mark J
MJ
Lippmann
Morton
M
Oberdörster
Gunter
G
Frampton
Mark
M
Godleski
John
J
Larson
Tim V
TV
D000818:Animals; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
D052638:Particulate Matter