PM Research

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strives for every American community to have safe and healthy air. Research has shown that exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution is linked to increases in respiratory health problems, hospitalization for heart or lung disease and even premature death. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM, set by EPA in 1997, were designed to respond to this PM research and move the nation closer to achieving the Clean Air Goal. In 1998, Congress mandated that EPA accelerate its investigation of PM health effects and find ways to reduce the risks associated with exposure to PM. In response, EPA's research office developed a program to coordinate the work of its own scientists with that conducted by academics, partners such as the Health Effects Institute, and other Federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. The results of this effort have improved our understanding of the potential impacts of PM on human health, helped us develop tools to reduce harmful exposures, and advanced the science for future reviews of the PM NAAQS.

EPA research on PM has been conducted within a framework developed by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, an independent committee of experts that was assembled at the request of EPA in 1998. The NRC Committee on Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter identified the agenda that guided EPA in developing its PM research program. Eleven areas were specified to encourage researchers to: