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2004 Progress Report: Investigating Chronic Effects of Exposure to Particulate Matter

EPA Grant Number: R827353C006
Subproject: this is subproject number 006 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R827353
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).

Center: EPA Harvard Center for Ambient Particle Health Effects
Center Director: Koutrakis, Petros
Title: Investigating Chronic Effects of Exposure to Particulate Matter
Investigators: Dockery, Douglas W.
Current Investigators: Dockery, Douglas W. , Laden, Francine , Schwartz, Joel
Institution: Harvard University
EPA Project Officer: Stacey Katz/Gail Robarge,
Project Period: June 1, 1999 through May 31, 2005 (Extended to May 31, 2006)
Project Period Covered by this Report: June 1, 2003 through May 31, 2004
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Airborne Particulate Matter (PM) Centers (1999)
Research Category: Particulate Matter

Description:

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to assess the cumulative effect of long-term exposures to particulate matter (PM).

Progress Summary:

The effect of chronic particulate exposures was examined using the Normative Aging Study cohort. In Year 6, we demonstrated that the effect of PM10 on heart rate variability was enhanced in hypertensive individuals (Park, 2005). A follow-up to that study (Schwartz, et al., 2005) has demonstrated that the effect is also enhanced in the obese, and in persons without the gene to manufacture glutathione S transferase M1. Since obesity increases systemic oxidative stress and GSTM1 is an important part of defenses against oxidative stress, this strongly indicates that oxidative stress is an important pathway for the autonomic effects of PM.

While cohort studies have shown much larger effects of PM on mortality than time series studies, some have argued that these are the results of lifetime or very long term exposure. If so, benefits of reducing air pollution will take a long time to appear. To examine this issue we conducted a further 10-year follow-up of the Six City Study. We compared the covariate adjusted mortality rate in each of the six cities in each of the two follow-up periods to the average exposure in each follow-up period. We found that in cities where exposure fell substantially between the two follow-up periods, the covariate adjusted mortality rate fell substantially, whereas if there was little change in exposure, there was little change in the mortality rate. This indicates that the health improvements from reducing PM exposure should be seen relatively soon after reducing PM concentrations in the air (Laden, et al., 200 6).


Journal Articles on this Report: 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Other subproject views: All 4 publications 4 publications in selected types All 4 journal articles
Other center views: All 149 publications 149 publications in selected types All 148 journal articles

Type Citation Sub Project Document Sources
Journal Article Laden F, Schwartz J, Speizer FE, Dockery DW. Reduction in fine particulate air pollution and mortality: extended follow-up of the Harvard Six Cities Study. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2006;173(6):667-672. R827353 (Final)
R827353C006 (2004)
R827353C006 (Final)
  • Abstract from PubMed
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  • Supplemental Keywords:

    exposure, health effects, susceptibility, metals, public policy, biology, engineering, epidemiology, toxicology, environmental chemistry, monitoring, air pollutants, air pollution, air quality, ambient air, ambient air monitoring, ambient air quality, ambient measurement methods, ambient monitoring, ambient particle health effects, ambient particles, animal inhalation study, assessment of exposure, biological mechanism, biological response, cardiopulmonary, cardiopulmonary response, cardiovascular disease, chemical exposure, children, developmental effects, dosimetry, environmental health hazard, exposure and effects, genetic susceptibility, health risks, human exposure, human health, human health effects, human health risk, human susceptibility, indoor air quality, indoor exposure, inhalation, inhalation toxicology, inhaled particles, lead, measurement methods, particle exposure, particulate exposure, particulates, pulmonary, pulmonary disease, respiratory, respiratory disease, risk assessment, sensitive populations, stratospheric ozone, , ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Air, Scientific Discipline, Health, RFA, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Molecular Biology/Genetics, Toxicology, Risk Assessment, Biology, Risk Assessments, genetic susceptability, Microbiology, Physical Processes, Epidemiology, air toxics, Children's Health, Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Microbiology, particulate matter, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Monitoring, tropospheric ozone, ambient measurement methods, cardiopulmonary, exposure assessment, exposure and effects, ambient air quality, cardiovascular disease, chronic effects, elderly, health effects, indoor air, indoor air quality, inhalation, developmental effects, epidemelogy, lung cancer, respiratory disease, inhalation toxicology, air quality, ambient air, cardiopulmonary response, indoor exposure, molecular epidemiology, measurement methods, assessment of exposure, cardiopulmonary responses, human health risk, interindividual variability, monitoring, susceptibility, genetic susceptibility, particle exposure, toxics, epidemeology, air pollutants, human health effects, particulates, respiratory, sensitive populations, measurement methods , biological response, ambient particle health effects, air pollution, ambient monitoring, children, inhaled, lung, stratospheric ozone, ambient air monitoring, chemical exposure, dosimetry, exposure, inhaled particles, pulmonary, human health, atmospheric monitoring, human susceptibility, environmental health hazard, biological mechanism , health risks, human exposure, Human Health Risk Assessment, particle size, pulmonary disease

    Progress and Final Reports:
    2000 Progress Report
    2001 Progress Report
    2002 Progress Report
    2003 Progress Report
    Original Abstract
    Final Report


    Main Center Abstract and Reports:
    R827353    EPA Harvard Center for Ambient Particle Health Effects

    Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
    R827353C001 Assessing Human Exposures to Particulate and Gaseous Air Pollutants
    R827353C002 Quantifying Exposure Error and its Effect on Epidemiological Studies
    R827353C003 St. Louis Bus, Steubenville and Atlanta Studies
    R827353C004 Examining Conditions That Predispose Towards Acute Adverse Effects of Particulate Exposures
    R827353C005 Assessing Life-Shortening Associated with Exposure to Particulate Matter
    R827353C006 Investigating Chronic Effects of Exposure to Particulate Matter
    R827353C007 Determining the Effects of Particle Characteristics on Respiratory Health of Children
    R827353C008 Differentiating the Roles of Particle Size, Particle Composition, and Gaseous Co-Pollutants on Cardiac Ischemia
    R827353C009 Assessing Deposition of Ambient Particles in the Lung
    R827353C010 Relating Changes in Blood Viscosity, Other Clotting Parameters, Heart Rate, and Heart Rate Variability to Particulate and Criteria Gas Exposures
    R827353C011 Studies of Oxidant Mechanisms
    R827353C012 Modeling Relationships Between Mobile Source Particle Emissions and Population Exposures
    R827353C013 Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) Study
    R827353C014 Identifying the Physical and Chemical Properties of Particulate Matter Responsible for the Observed Adverse Health Effects
    R827353C015 Research Coordination Core
    R827353C016 Analytical and Facilities Core
    R827353C017 Technology Development and Transfer Core

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    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.


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