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Communication 15 summarizes the findings of a workshop held in December 2009 that reviewed the current state of research to evaluate the impact of air quality interventions (also known as accountability or air quality outcomes research). A multidisciplinary group of leading government, science and other stakeholders reviewed studies conducted to date, revisited the original framework for accountability research, and recommended strategies, methods, and targets of opportunity for further research in this important area. To download HEI Communication 15 please click here.
HEI has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Data Analysis Center. The goal of this RFQ is to solicit a statement of qualifications from experienced biostatisticians interested in developing an analysis plan, managing data, and analyzing data collected in a multicenter controlled ozone exposure study in human volunteers. The center will be working with the scientists funded under RFA 10-1, Cardiovascular effects of exposure to low levels of ozone in the presence and absence of other pollutants. Although the studies are being conducted in three separate centers, they will have a common protocol and all data will be combined for the statistical analyses. The deadline for submission is October 7, 2010. For more details and instructions for applying please refer to our Funding page.
The summer 2010 issue of PAPA Progresshighlights the most recent accomplishments and future activities of the Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) Program, including new studies of air pollution and birth outcomes in Taiwan and China, the upcoming release of HEI's comprehensive review of the Asian science literature, presentations at workshops, upcoming conferences, and more... Please visit the International page for more information on HEI's international activities.
Read about the new chair of the HEI Health Research Committee; EPA honoring Dan Greenbaum for his clean air leadership; summaries of the recent HEI annual and AAAR specialty meetings; new HEI Research Reports on butadiene mutagenicity and methods to measure acrolein; new health effects studies in Asia; and more... Please visit the HEI Publications page to download the newsletter. To sign up for electronic distribution please write to pubs@healtheffects.org.
Alexandria, VA, April 25-27, 2010
Please visit the HEI Annual Conference page to view the presentations
HEI has launched its Strategic Plan for the coming five years, guiding HEI’s direction based on extensive input from sponsors, the scientific community, environmental organizations and others. The Plan seeks to produce timely and credible science to inform key decisions with an important principal overarching theme: to develop and apply next-generation multipollutant approaches to understanding exposure to and health effects of air pollutants. The four core programs are: multipollutant exposure, epidemiology, and toxicology; emerging fuels and technologies; health impacts of air quality actions (accountability); and an international perspective. HEI will pursue these research topics both for conventional air pollutants and at the nexus of air quality and climate.
Research Report 148, Impact of Improved Air Quality During the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta on Multiple Cardiovascular and Respiratory Outcomes, is the latest in HEI’s program of studies to assess the health impacts of air quality actions. Research Report 148 describes a study to evaluate the effect of a short-term, temporary intervention to reduce traffic congestion during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. A previous study had shown a decrease in acute care visits for pediatric asthma and a concomitant decrease in concentrations of ozone, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. Because it was not clear to what extent normal seasonal patterns in pollutant concentrations or health outcomes may have influenced the results, Dr. Peel and colleagues evaluated wider time windows surrounding the Olympic Games period and extended the analyses to earlier and later years and to broader geographic areas. They also evaluated additional respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes in adults. To download HEI Research Report 148, including a Critique by the HEI Review Committee, or a summary Statement, click here.
HEI's Special Report 17, Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure, and Health Effects, is the most comprehensive and systematic review to date of the scientific literature on emissions, exposure, and health effects from traffic-related air pollution. It includes conclusions about the populations exposed around major roads, the associations between exposure to air pollution from traffic and human health, and important remaining data gaps. Compared with the initial pre-print version released in May 2009, this final version has undergone data verification and editorial changes; however, the overall conclusions did not change. To download HEI Special Report 17 and/or HEI’s Press Release about the report, please click here.
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