Research Reports

HEI’s mission is to provide credible science to support environmental regulations and other policy decisions. The results of each HEI-funded project undergo peer-review by outside scientists and the Health Review Committee. The HEI Research Reports contain the Investigator’s Report and the Review Committee’s evaluation of the study, summarized in a Commentary or short Critique.

ISSN 1041-5505 (print)        ISSN 2688-6855 (online) 

Long-Term Exposure to AIR Pollution and COVID-19 Mortality and Morbidity in DENmark: Who Is Most Susceptible? (AIRCODEN)

Research Report 214
Zorana J Andersen
Jiawei Zhang
Youn-Hee Lim
Rina So
Jeanette T Jørgensen
Laust H Mortensen
et al
2023
Topics: 
Nitrogen Oxides
Particulate Matter

This report presents a study that evaluated whether there is an association between exposure to outdoor air pollution and the risk of COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization, and mortality in a cohort of 3.7 million Danish adults.

Read more >

Ambient Air Pollution and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in an Analysis of Asian Cohorts

Research Report 213
George S. Downward
Roel Vermeulen
2023
Topics: 
Nitrogen Oxides
Particulate Matter
Global Health

This study by Dr. George S. Downward and Dr. Roel Vermeulen from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, addresses a clear research gap by leveraging harmonized data from the Asia Cohort Consortium, a large multicenter collaborative research effort in Asia that began in 2008.

Read more >

Characterizing Determinants of Near-Road Ambient Air Quality for an Urban Intersection and a Freeway Site

Research Report 207
H Christopher Frey
Andrew P Grieshop
Andrey Khlystov
John J Bang
Nagui Rouphail
Joseph Guinness
et al
2022
Topics: 
Nitrogen Oxides
Particulate Matter
Traffic-related
Exposure Methods

This report presents a study led by H. Christopher Frey of North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The investigators measured six air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, ultrafine particles, black carbon, fine particles, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone) near a freeway and in an urban area.

Read more >

Mortality–Air Pollution Associations in Low-Exposure Environments (MAPLE): Phase 2

Research Report 212
Michael Brauer
Jeffrey R. Brook
Tanya Christidis
Yen Chu
Dan Crouse
Anders Erickson
et al
2022
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Multipollutant Mixtures
Particulate Matter

This report presents a comprehensive HEI study examining potential health risks from low levels of air pollution exposure in millions of Canadian citizens. Michael Brauer at The University of British Columbia and his colleagues combined satellite data, air monitor sampling, and atmospheric modeling to estimate outdoor PM2.5 exposures across Canada from 1981 to 2016.

Read more >

Associations of Air Pollution on the Brain in Children: A Brain Imaging Study

Research Report 209
Mònica Guxens
Małgorzata J. Lubczyńska
Laura Pérez-Crespo
Ryan L. Muetzel
Hanan El Marroun
Xavier Basagaña
et al
2022
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Nitrogen Oxides
Particulate Matter
Traffic-related

Research Report 209 presents a study by Mònica Guxens of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and colleagues. The team used new neuroimaging technology to assess the possible relationship of air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood with brain outcomes in children. 

Read more >

Assessing Adverse Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Low Levels of Ambient Air Pollution: Implementation of Causal Inference Methods

Research Report 211
Francesca Dominici
Antonella Zanobetti
Joel Schwartz
Danielle Braun
Ben Sabath
Xiao Wu
2022
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Multipollutant Mixtures
Particulate Matter
Statistical Methods

Research Report 211 presents a major HEI study by Dr. Francesca Dominici of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues. The investigators examined the risk of mortality associated with exposure to low ambient air pollution concentrations in a cohort of 68.5 million older Americans. 

Read more >

Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS): A Global Approach

Research Report 210
Erin McDuffie
Randall V Martin
Hao Yin
Michael Brauer
2021
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Particulate Matter
Global Health

Research Report 210 presents a study conducted by Dr. Erin McDuffie and Dr. Randall Martin of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Michael Brauer at The University of British Columbia in Canada, and colleagues. The investigators produced the first comprehensive global estimates of contributions from the most common sources of air pollution to people’s exposure to fine particles and to the world’s burden of disease from various causes.

Read more >

Mortality and Morbidity Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Low-Level PM2.5, BC, NO2, and O3: An Analysis of European Cohorts in the ELAPSE Project

Research Report 208
Bert Brunekreef
Maciej Strak
Jie Chen
Zorana J Andersen
Richard Atkinson
Mariska Bauwelinck
et al
2021
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Nitrogen Oxides
Multipollutant Mixtures
Ozone & Oxidants
Particulate Matter
Exposure Methods

Research Report 208 presents a study by Bert Brunekreef at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and colleagues examining associations between exposures to relatively low levels of air pollution below the current EU standards and several health outcomes among participants in 22 European cohorts. 
 

Read more >

Social Susceptibility to Multiple Air Pollutants in Cardiovascular Disease

Research Report 206
Jane E Clougherty
Jamie L Humphrey
Ellen J Kinnee
Lucy F Robinson
Leslie A McClure
Laura D Kubzansky
Colleen E Reid
2021
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Nitrogen Oxides
Multipollutant Mixtures
Ozone & Oxidants
Particulate Matter

Research Report 206 presents a study led by Dr. Jane Clougherty at Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University. Clougherty and colleagues examined whether associations between community- and individual-level cardiovascular disease events and ambient air pollutants vary by social stressors.  

Read more >

Improvements in Air Quality and Health Outcomes Among California Medicaid Enrollees Due to Goods Movement Actions

Research Report 205
Ying-Ying Meng
Jason G Su
Xiao Chen
John Molitor
Dahai Yue
Michael Jerrett
2021
Topics: 
Air Pollution
Diesel Exhaust
Accountability

Research Report 205 presents a study led by Ying-Ying Meng and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, examining the impact of the 2006 California Goods Movement Plan on air quality and healthcare utilization among adults with chronic health conditions who were enrolled in California’s healthcare program for low-income individuals (Medi-Cal).

Read more >