Efforts to understand and mitigate the health effects of particulate matter (PM) air pollution have a rich and interesting history. This review focuses on six substantial lines of research that have been pursued since 1997 that have helped elucidate our understanding about the effects of PM on human health. There has been substantial progress in the evaluation of PM health effects at different time-scales of exposure and in the exploration of the shape of the concentration-response function. There has also been emerging evidence of PM-related cardiovascular health effects and growing knowledge regarding interconnected general pathophysiological pathways that link PM exposure with cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. Despite important gaps in scientific knowledge and continued reasons for some skepticism, a comprehensive evaluation of the research findings provides persuasive evidence that exposure to fine particulate air pollution has adverse effects on cardiopulmonary health. Although much of this research has been motivated by environmental public health policy, these results have important scientific, medical, and public health implications that are broader than debates over legally mandated air quality standards.

/pdf/health-effects-of-fine-particulate-air-pollution-lines-that-s831sp8jap.pdf

Health effects of fine particulate air pollution: lines that connect

INTRODUCTION Herein is the discussion of the 2006 A&WMA Critical Review1,2 on “Health Effects of Fine Particulate Air Pollution: Lines that Connect.” In the review, Drs. C. Arden Pope III and Douglas Dockery addressed the epidemiological evidence for the effects of particulate matter (PM) on human health indicators. The review documents substantial progress since the 1997 Critical Review3 in the areas of: (1) short-term exposure and mortality; (2) long-term exposure and mortality; (3) time scales of exposure; (4) the shape of the concentration-response function; (5) cardiovascular disease; and (6) biological plausibility. Invited and contributing discussants agree and disagree with points made in the review. Each discussion is self-contained and adds information relevant to the topic. Joint authorship of this article does not imply that a discussant subscribes to the opinions expressed by others. Commentaries are the opinions of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the positions of their respective organizations. In particular, Dr. Costa’s comments have not been reviewed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and do not reflect official positions or policies of the agency. CRITICAL REVIEW DISCUSSION ISSN 1047-3289 J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 56:1368–1380

Health effects of fine particulate air pollution: line that connect

Chemical characterization of particulate emissions from diesel engines: A review

Carbonaceous aerosol, a major component of particulate matter (PM), gases, and vapors in the atmosphere, has been associated with natural and anthropogenic air pollution, reduced visibility, climate modulation, material and ecosystem damage, and adverse health effects. More recently, epidemiological studies have indicated associations between organic fractions of ambient PM and adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes. The effects of the non-PM components of the organic aerosol have received less attention because their measurement in the general environment is not mandated. This article summarizes current knowledge of the nature, prevalence, and health effects of organic aerosols encountered in the outdoor environment, identifies key information gaps, and presents a conceptual framework for research priorities for resolving those gaps. The broad, diverse class of air contaminants comprising organic aerosols may be more important to public health than the modest attention given to them. This review focuses on hazard identification and exposure assessment for evaluating risks to public health from ambient organic aerosols. Current knowledge is insufficient to support a quantitative characterization of the aggregate risk from organic air contaminants. Assessments should be done for individual species or mixtures. Efforts should be taken to assemble and evaluate a common set of standard reference materials for both organic speciation and health response assays. A greater standardization of approaches across studies and laboratories would be useful to achieve uniformity in assessing health effects. Multidisciplinary research efforts are needed to improve the current regulatory-driven air quality monitoring networks for epidemiological studies. The limited array of biomarkers linking organic aerosols to health effects needs to be expanded and specific organic compounds or classes that are associated with biological effects in human cells or animal studies need to be tested for better understanding of the exposure-response relationship.

Health Effects of Organic Aerosols

Increasing evidence links diverse forms of air pollution to neuroinflammation and neuropathology in both human and animal models, but the effects of long-term exposures are poorly understood. We explored the central nervous system consequences of subchronic exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) and addressed the minimum levels necessary to elicit neuroinflammation and markers of early neuropathology. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed to DE (992, 311, 100, 35 and 0 μg PM/m3) by inhalation over 6 months. DE exposure resulted in elevated levels of TNFα at high concentrations in all regions tested, with the exception of the cerebellum. The midbrain region was the most sensitive, where exposures as low as 100 μg PM/m3 significantly increased brain TNFα levels. However, this sensitivity to DE was not conferred to all markers of neuroinflammation, as the midbrain showed no increase in IL-6 expression at any concentration tested, an increase in IL-1β at only high concentrations, and a decrease in MIP-1α expression, supporting that compensatory mechanisms may occur with subchronic exposure. Aβ42 levels were the highest in the frontal lobe of mice exposed to 992 μg PM/m3 and tau [pS199] levels were elevated at the higher DE concentrations (992 and 311 μg PM/m3) in both the temporal lobe and frontal lobe, indicating that proteins linked to preclinical Alzheimer's disease were affected. α Synuclein levels were elevated in the midbrain in response to the 992 μg PM/m3 exposure, supporting that air pollution may be associated with early Parkinson's disease-like pathology. Together, the data support that the midbrain may be more sensitive to the neuroinflammatory effects of subchronic air pollution exposure. However, the DE-induced elevation of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases was limited to only the higher exposures, suggesting that air pollution-induced neuroinflammation may precede preclinical markers of neurodegenerative disease in the midbrain.

/pdf/air-pollution-the-brain-subchronic-diesel-exhaust-exposure-26ik57hyyj.pdf

Air pollution & the brain: Subchronic diesel exhaust exposure causes neuroinflammation and elevates early markers of neurodegenerative disease

Exposure atmospheres for a rodent inhalation toxicology study were generated from the exhaust of a 2000 Cummins ISB 5.9L diesel engine coupled to a dynamometer and operated on a slightly modified h...

Generation and Characterization of Four Dilutions of Diesel Engine Exhaust for a Subchronic Inhalation Study

Project Summa ry A fine particulate matter Supersite is proposed in Metropolitan St. Louis (IL-MO), a major industrial and population center. This comprehensive research program will provide physical and chemical measurements needed by the health effects, atmospheric science and regulatory communities, in a setting broadly representative of the urban Midwest. The proposal is submitted by a public/private partnership that provides significant leveraging of resources. Measurements will be fully integrated with three large health effects programs: the EPA/Harvard Center on Ambient Particle Health Effects, the NIEHS/Harvard Program Project on Ambient Particles Cardiac Vulnerability, and the EPRI Particle Exposure Assessment Program. These health studies will: (i) investigate relationships between personal exposures and outdoor concentrations, and examine the health effects of chronic exposures; (ii) identify biological mechanisms responsible for particle health effects; (iii) identify susceptible populations; and (iv) investigate the relative toxicity of the different particle constituents. The measurement strategy features sustained sampling using state-of-the-art continuous monitoring techniques for particle mass, size and composition. The high time resolution of the data will permit novel hypotheses and interpretive techniques to be tested in both source apportionment and health effects studies. Measurements will be conducted throughout a full year at the core site, located in an urban residential neighborhood of St. Louis City, providing context for episodes and to support the time series epidemiological studies. A movable instrument platform will rotate between four satellite sites in the greater St. Louis region, collecting 21-24 successive days of measurements at each site during each season. The satellite sites will be used to examine the impacts of local sources and to investigate the spatial patterns of outdoor exposures. Emphasis in designing the measurement platforms has been placed on identifying advanced methods with demonstrated or potential ability to operate reliably for extended periods with limited attendance.

Solicitation: Particle Matter Supersites Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Sorting Code: 99-NCERQA-X1 Title: St. Louis-Midwest Supersite Investigators and Institutions

New Insights into the Dynamics of Sources of Fine Particulate Matter using Semi-Continous Chemical Speciation Samplers

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Generation and Characterization of Four Dilutions of Diesel Engine Exhaust for a Subchronic Inhalation Study

Solicitation: Particle Matter Supersites Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Sorting Code: 99-NCERQA-X1 Title: St. Louis-Midwest Supersite Investigators and Institutions

New Insights into the Dynamics of Sources of Fine Particulate Matter using Semi-Continous Chemical Speciation Samplers