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Report Highlighting Results of Asthma Research Released
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a report, "EPA's Asthma Research Results Highlights," that describes recent advances in scientists' understanding of the factors which cause and exacerbate asthma and that documents ways to reduce the burden of asthma. The release of this report coincides with the observance of Asthma Awareness Month.
The research described in "EPA's Asthma Research Results Highlights" was conducted at EPA facilities and in collaboration with universities and other organizations. Advances described in the report include the following:
- Exposure to air pollutants such as ground-level ozone can put both children and adults at greater risk of developing asthma.
- People with asthma are more severely affected by ozone and particulate matter than are people without the disease.
- Children may develop allergies that are strongly associated with asthma due to exposure to metals (such as copper and zinc which found in particulate matter) and to pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and lead at levels below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
- Certain molds commonly found in indoor environments are potent allergens and may play a major role in triggering asthma and exacerbating its effects.
- More effective methods to assess the extent of people's exposure to molds and improved mold clean-up methods have been developed.
- Genes playing an important role in determining the susceptibility of individuals to pollutants that cause asthma have been identified and are currently under study.
Despite significant progress in research, uncertainties remain; thus EPA will continue to pursue research aimed at producing a better understanding of susceptibility to asthma and gene environment interactions, reducing uncertainties in risk assessments for pollutants that induce or exacerbate asthma, and developing new and better strategies to prevent asthma.
Additional Resources:
- Fact Sheet about "EPA's Asthma Research Results Highlights"
- "EPA's Asthma Research Results Highlights" Full Report (PDF) (44 pp, 2.8 M)
- News Release
- EPA's Asthma Web site: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html
- Asthma Awareness Month Web site: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awm.html