Announcements

Workshop on effects of fuel composition on particles

December 22, 2016

HEI held a workshop on December 8, 2016, to provide an overview of research on the effects of fuel composition on particulate matter (PM). Introductory presentations included overviews of regulatory issues, of engine/vehicle parameters, and of fuel formulation, as well as tail-pipe emissions versus ambient levels of PM. Other presentations discussed the impact of gasoline composition (including ethanol level and aromatics) and engine technology (including gasoline direct injection) on PM emissions. The workshop page includes presentation slides. A summary is forthcoming.

HEI Issues RFA 16-1, Rosenblith Award

December 5, 2016

HEI has issued RFA 16-1, Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award. The purpose of this award is to bring new, creative investigators into active research on the health effects of air pollution. It provides three years of funding for a small project relevant to HEI’s research interests to a new investigator with outstanding promise at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level. Please refer to Funding Opportunities on how to apply.

Whitby Award for HEI Rosenblith Investigator Sally Ng

November 8, 2016

Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, a recipient of HEI’s 2013 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award, has won the 2016 Kenneth T. Whitby Award from the American Association for Aerosol Research. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to aerosol science and technology by a young scientist.

Fall 2016 Update now available

October 19, 2016

The Fall 2016 Update reports on a new study that explored the impact of Southern California air quality regulations on children’s health. Also read about new HEI Review Committee member Jennifer Peel, upcoming requests for applications, and the sharing of HEI science at major Asian and European conferences.

HEI Welcomes Epidemiologist to Review Committee

September 30, 2016

The HEI Board of Directors has appointed environmental epidemiologist Jennifer L. Peel of Colorado State University (CSU) to the HEI Review Committee. The Review Committee evaluates all completed HEI studies and prepares a commentary or critique on each study and its results and interpretations that puts them in a broader scientific and policy context. Peel is a professor and section head of epidemiology in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences at CSU. She also holds an appointment in the Colorado School of Public Health. She has more than 16 years of experience evaluating the health effects of air pollution — both ambient air pollution in the United States and household air pollution from biomass-burning cookstoves in Central America.

Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes in Wuhan, China

September 28, 2016

HEI Research Report 189 describes a study by Dr. Zhengmin Qian conducted in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in China. Wuhan experiences temperature extremes and generally has higher air pollution levels than those seen in the United States and Europe. Dr. Qian examined whether increased exposures to air pollutants (particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) during vulnerable pregnancy periods were associated with increased rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, or intrauterine growth retardation, using both a cohort and nested case-control design.