Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 2003 Jun;111(8):1074–1092. doi: 10.1289/ehp.5750

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 1, Joel Schwartz 1, Douglas Dockery 1, Richard Schlesinger 1, Petros Koutrakis 1, John Froines 1, Andre Nel 1, Jack Finkelstein 1, John Godleski 1, Joel Kaufman 1, Jane Koenig 1, Tim Larson 1, Dan Luchtel 1, L-J Sally Liu 1, Gunter Oberdorster 1, Annette Peters 1, Jeremy Sarnat 1, Constantinos Sioutas 1, Helen Suh 1, Jeff Sullivan 1, Mark Utell 1, Erich Wichmann 1, Judith Zelikoff 1
PMCID: PMC1241556  PMID: 12826479

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.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (352.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abbey D. E., Nishino N., McDonnell W. F., Burchette R. J., Knutsen S. F., Lawrence Beeson W., Yang J. X. Long-term inhalable particles and other air pollutants related to mortality in nonsmokers. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999 Feb;159(2):373–382. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.159.2.9806020. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Avol E. L., Gauderman W. J., Tan S. M., London S. J., Peters J. M. Respiratory effects of relocating to areas of differing air pollution levels. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001 Dec 1;164(11):2067–2072. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.164.11.2102005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clarke R. W., Coull B., Reinisch U., Catalano P., Killingsworth C. R., Koutrakis P., Kavouras I., Murthy G. G., Lawrence J., Lovett E. Inhaled concentrated ambient particles are associated with hematologic and bronchoalveolar lavage changes in canines. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Dec;108(12):1179–1187. doi: 10.1289/ehp.001081179. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clayton C. A., Perritt R. L., Pellizzari E. D., Thomas K. W., Whitmore R. W., Wallace L. A., Ozkaynak H., Spengler J. D. Particle Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (PTEAM) study: distributions of aerosol and elemental concentrations in personal, indoor, and outdoor air samples in a southern California community. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 1993 Apr-Jun;3(2):227–250. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Daigle Christopher C., Chalupa David C., Gibb F. Raymond, Morrow Paul E., Oberdörster Günter, Utell Mark J., Frampton Mark W. Ultrafine particle deposition in humans during rest and exercise. Inhal Toxicol. 2003 May;15(6):539–552. doi: 10.1080/08958370304468. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dills R. L., Zhu X., Kalman D. A. Measurement of urinary methoxyphenols and their use for biological monitoring of wood smoke exposure. Environ Res. 2001 Feb;85(2):145–158. doi: 10.1006/enrs.2000.4107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dockery D. W., Cunningham J., Damokosh A. I., Neas L. M., Spengler J. D., Koutrakis P., Ware J. H., Raizenne M., Speizer F. E. Health effects of acid aerosols on North American children: respiratory symptoms. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 May;104(5):500–505. doi: 10.1289/ehp.96104500. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dockery D. W., Pope C. A., 3rd, Xu X., Spengler J. D., Ware J. H., Fay M. E., Ferris B. G., Jr, Speizer F. E. An association between air pollution and mortality in six U.S. cities. N Engl J Med. 1993 Dec 9;329(24):1753–1759. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199312093292401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dominici Francesca, McDermott Aidan, Zeger Scott L., Samet Jonathan M. On the use of generalized additive models in time-series studies of air pollution and health. Am J Epidemiol. 2002 Aug 1;156(3):193–203. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwf062. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Driscoll Kevin E., Carter Janet M., Borm Paul J. A. Antioxidant defense mechanisms and the toxicity of fibrous and nonfibrous particles. Inhal Toxicol. 2002 Jan;14(1):101–118. doi: 10.1080/089583701753338668. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Elder A. C., Gelein R., Finkelstein J. N., Cox C., Oberdörster G. Pulmonary inflammatory response to inhaled ultrafine particles is modified by age, ozone exposure, and bacterial toxin. Inhal Toxicol. 2000;12 (Suppl 4):227–246. doi: 10.1080/089583700750019585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Frampton M. W. Systemic and cardiovascular effects of airway injury and inflammation: ultrafine particle exposure in humans. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Aug;109 (Suppl 4):529–532. doi: 10.1289/ehp.01109s4529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Goswami Emily, Larson Timothy, Lumley Thomas, Liu L. J. Sally. Spatial characteristics of fine particulate matter: identifying representative monitoring locations in Seattle, Washington. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2002 Mar;52(3):324–333. doi: 10.1080/10473289.2002.10470778. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ito K., Thurston G. D., Nádas A., Lippmann M. Monitor-to-monitor temporal correlation of air pollution and weather variables in the North-Central U.S. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 2001 Jan-Feb;11(1):21–32. doi: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Janssen N. A., Hoek G., Brunekreef B., Harssema H., Mensink I., Zuidhof A. Personal sampling of particles in adults: relation among personal, indoor, and outdoor air concentrations. Am J Epidemiol. 1998 Mar 15;147(6):537–547. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Janssen Nicole A. H., Schwartz Joel, Zanobetti Antonella, Suh Helen H. Air conditioning and source-specific particles as modifiers of the effect of PM(10) on hospital admissions for heart and lung disease. Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Jan;110(1):43–49. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0211043. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kim C. S. Methods of calculating lung delivery and deposition of aerosol particles. Respir Care. 2000 Jun;45(6):695–711. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kreyling W. G., Semmler M., Erbe F., Mayer P., Takenaka S., Schulz H., Oberdörster G., Ziesenis A. Translocation of ultrafine insoluble iridium particles from lung epithelium to extrapulmonary organs is size dependent but very low. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2002 Oct 25;65(20):1513–1530. doi: 10.1080/00984100290071649. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Laden F., Neas L. M., Dockery D. W., Schwartz J. Association of fine particulate matter from different sources with daily mortality in six U.S. cities. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Oct;108(10):941–947. doi: 10.1289/ehp.00108941. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lipfert F. W., Perry H. M., Jr, Miller J. P., Baty J. D., Wyzga R. E., Carmody S. E. The Washington University-EPRI Veterans' Cohort Mortality Study: preliminary results. Inhal Toxicol. 2000;12 (Suppl 4):41–73. doi: 10.1080/713856640. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mar T. F., Norris G. A., Koenig J. Q., Larson T. V. Associations between air pollution and mortality in Phoenix, 1995-1997. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Apr;108(4):347–353. doi: 10.1289/ehp.00108347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Oberdörster Günter, Sharp Zachary, Atudorei Viorel, Elder Alison, Gelein Robert, Lunts Alex, Kreyling Wolfgang, Cox Christopher. Extrapulmonary translocation of ultrafine carbon particles following whole-body inhalation exposure of rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2002 Oct 25;65(20):1531–1543. doi: 10.1080/00984100290071658. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ozkaynak H., Xue J., Spengler J., Wallace L., Pellizzari E., Jenkins P. Personal exposure to airborne particles and metals: results from the Particle TEAM study in Riverside, California. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 1996 Jan-Mar;6(1):57–78. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Peters A., Dockery D. W., Muller J. E., Mittleman M. A. Increased particulate air pollution and the triggering of myocardial infarction. Circulation. 2001 Jun 12;103(23):2810–2815. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.103.23.2810. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Pope C. A., 3rd, Thun M. J., Namboodiri M. M., Dockery D. W., Evans J. S., Speizer F. E., Heath C. W., Jr Particulate air pollution as a predictor of mortality in a prospective study of U.S. adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995 Mar;151(3 Pt 1):669–674. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/151.3_Pt_1.669. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Pope C. Arden, 3rd, Burnett Richard T., Thun Michael J., Calle Eugenia E., Krewski Daniel, Ito Kazuhiko, Thurston George D. Lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. JAMA. 2002 Mar 6;287(9):1132–1141. doi: 10.1001/jama.287.9.1132. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Raizenne M., Neas L. M., Damokosh A. I., Dockery D. W., Spengler J. D., Koutrakis P., Ware J. H., Speizer F. E. Health effects of acid aerosols on North American children: pulmonary function. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 May;104(5):506–514. doi: 10.1289/ehp.96104506. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ridker P. M., Hennekens C. H., Roitman-Johnson B., Stampfer M. J., Allen J. Plasma concentration of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and risks of future myocardial infarction in apparently healthy men. Lancet. 1998 Jan 10;351(9096):88–92. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)09032-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rojas-Bracho L., Suh H. H., Koutrakis P. Relationships among personal, indoor, and outdoor fine and coarse particle concentrations for individuals with COPD. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 2000 May-Jun;10(3):294–306. doi: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500092. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Saldiva Paulo H. N., Clarke Robert W., Coull Brent A., Stearns Rebecca C., Lawrence Joy, Murthy G. G. Krishna, Diaz Edgar, Koutrakis Petros, Suh Helen, Tsuda Akira. Lung inflammation induced by concentrated ambient air particles is related to particle composition. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Jun 15;165(12):1610–1617. doi: 10.1164/rccm.2106102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sarnat J. A., Koutrakis P., Suh H. H. Assessing the relationship between personal particulate and gaseous exposures of senior citizens living in Baltimore, MD. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2000 Jul;50(7):1184–1198. doi: 10.1080/10473289.2000.10464165. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Sarnat J. A., Schwartz J., Catalano P. J., Suh H. H. Gaseous pollutants in particulate matter epidemiology: confounders or surrogates? Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Oct;109(10):1053–1061. doi: 10.1289/ehp.011091053. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Schwartz J., Ballester F., Saez M., Pérez-Hoyos S., Bellido J., Cambra K., Arribas F., Cañada A., Pérez-Boillos M. J., Sunyer J. The concentration-response relation between air pollution and daily deaths. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Oct;109(10):1001–1006. doi: 10.1289/ehp.011091001. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Schwartz J. Total suspended particulate matter and daily mortality in Cincinnati, Ohio. Environ Health Perspect. 1994 Feb;102(2):186–189. doi: 10.1289/ehp.94102186. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Schwartz J., Zanobetti A. Using meta-smoothing to estimate dose-response trends across multiple studies, with application to air pollution and daily death. Epidemiology. 2000 Nov;11(6):666–672. doi: 10.1097/00001648-200011000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Utell M. J., Frampton M. W. Acute health effects of ambient air pollution: the ultrafine particle hypothesis. J Aerosol Med. 2000 Winter;13(4):355–359. doi: 10.1089/jam.2000.13.355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Wellenius Gregory A., Coull Brent A., Godleski John J., Koutrakis Petros, Okabe Kazunori, Savage Sara T., Lawrence Joy E., Murthy G. G. Krishna, Verrier Richard L. Inhalation of concentrated ambient air particles exacerbates myocardial ischemia in conscious dogs. Environ Health Perspect. 2003 Apr;111(4):402–408. doi: 10.1289/ehp.5775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Wellenius Gregory A., Saldiva Paulo H. N., Batalha Joao R. F., Krishna Murthy G. G., Coull Brent A., Verrier Richard L., Godleski John J. Electrocardiographic changes during exposure to residual oil fly ash (ROFA) particles in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Toxicol Sci. 2002 Apr;66(2):327–335. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/66.2.327. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Whitekus Michael J., Li Ning, Zhang Min, Wang Meiying, Horwitz Marcus A., Nelson Sally K., Horwitz Lawrence D., Brechun Nicholas, Diaz-Sanchez David, Nel Andre E. Thiol antioxidants inhibit the adjuvant effects of aerosolized diesel exhaust particles in a murine model for ovalbumin sensitization. J Immunol. 2002 Mar 1;168(5):2560–2567. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.168.5.2560. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Yu O., Sheppard L., Lumley T., Koenig J. Q., Shapiro G. G. Effects of ambient air pollution on symptoms of asthma in Seattle-area children enrolled in the CAMP study. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Dec;108(12):1209–1214. doi: 10.1289/ehp.001081209. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Zanobetti A., Schwartz J., Dockery D. W. Airborne particles are a risk factor for hospital admissions for heart and lung disease. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Nov;108(11):1071–1077. doi: 10.1289/ehp.001081071. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Zanobetti A., Schwartz J. Race, gender, and social status as modifiers of the effects of PM10 on mortality. J Occup Environ Med. 2000 May;42(5):469–474. doi: 10.1097/00043764-200005000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Zanobetti Antonella, Schwartz Joel, Samoli Evi, Gryparis Alexandros, Touloumi Giota, Atkinson Richard, Le Tertre Alain, Bobros Janos, Celko Martin, Goren Ayana. The temporal pattern of mortality responses to air pollution: a multicity assessment of mortality displacement. Epidemiology. 2002 Jan;13(1):87–93. doi: 10.1097/00001648-200201000-00014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Zareba W., Nomura A., Couderc J. P. Cardiovascular effects of air pollution: what to measure in ECG? Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Aug;109 (Suppl 4):533–538. doi: 10.1289/ehp.01109s4533. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Zhu Yifang, Hinds William C., Kim Seongheon, Sioutas Constantinos. Concentration and size distribution of ultrafine particles near a major highway. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2002 Sep;52(9):1032–1042. doi: 10.1080/10473289.2002.10470842. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES