| The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Health Effects Research Centers Program: A Midcourse Report of Status, Progress, and Plans Morton Lippmann,1 Mark Frampton,2 Joel Schwartz,3
Douglas Dockery,3 Richard Schlesinger,1 Petros
Koutrakis,3 John Froines,4 Andre Nel,4
Jack Finkelstein,2 John Godleski,3 Joel Kaufman,5
Jane Koenig,5 Tim Larson,5 Dan Luchtel,5
L-J. Sally Liu,5 Günter Oberdörster,2
Annette Peters,2 Jeremy Sarnat,3 Constantinos
Sioutas,6 Helen Suh,3 Jeff Sullivan,5
Mark Utell,2 Erich Wichmann,2 and Judith Zelikoff1 1New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York,
USA; 2University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, New York, USA; 3Harvard University School of Public
Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; 4UCLA School of Public
Health and School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA; 5University
of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington, USA; 6University
of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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| 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. Key words: acute effects, biological mechanisms, chronic effects, criteria pollutants, dosimetry, exposure assessment, infrastructure, morbidity, mortality, particulate matter. Environ Health Perspect 111:1074-1092 (2003) .
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