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) 

Genotoxicity of 1,3-Butadiene and Its Epoxy Intermediates

Research Report 144
Vernon E Walker
Dale M Walker
Quanxin Meng
Jacob D McDonald
Bobby R Scott
Steven K Seilkop
David J Claffey
Patricia B Upton
Mark W Powley
James A Swenberg
Rogene F Henderson
2009
Topics: 
Air Toxics

This report describes a study to evaluate genotoxic effects of exposure to 1,3-butadiene and its metabolites. 1,3-Butadiene is classified as a human carcinogen via inhalation, but risk assessment is complicated due to differences in metabolism between mice and rats and between males and females. Dr. Walker and colleagues studied mutagenicity in rats and mice of both genders, with a focus on evaluating stereoisomers of 1,3-butadiene metabolites and low exposure concentrations.

Read more >

Measurement and Modeling of Exposure to Selected Air Toxics for Health Effects Studies and Verification by Biomarkers

Research Report 143
Roy M Harrison
Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit
Stephen J Baker
Noel Aquilina
Claire Meddings
Stuart Harrad
Ian Matthews
Sotiris Vardoulakis
H Ross Anderson
2009
Topics: 
Air Toxics
Global Health

This report describes a study to develop detailed personal exposure models that take various microenvironments into account. To develop the models, Dr. Harrison and colleagues made repeated measurements of exposure to selected air toxics for each of 100 healthy adult nonsmoking participants residing in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the United Kingdom expected to have different traffic exposures.

Read more >

Extended Follow-Up and Spatial Analysis of the American Cancer Society Study Linking Particulate Air Pollution and Mortality

Research Report 140
Daniel Krewski
Michael Jerrett
Richard T Burnett
Renjun Ma
Edward Hughes
Yuanli Shi
Michelle C Turner
C Arden Pope III
George Thurston
Eugenia E Calle
Michael J Thun
et al.
2009
Topics: 
Particulate Matter

This report describes a recent analysis of the original ACS cohort, a large ongoing prospective study of mortality in adults that started in 1982 and has played a central role in the setting of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter pollution in the U.S. as well as assessments of benefits from PM reduction worldwide. The new study describes for the first time work by Dr.

Read more >

Air Pollution Effects on Ventricular Repolarization

Research Report 141
Robert L Lux
C Arden Pope III
2009
Topics: 
Particulate Matter

This report describes a study to explore novel electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters to improve our understanding of how air pollution may affect cardiovascular health. Drs. Robert Lux and Arden Pope used ECGs obtained in a previous study by Dr. Pope that found a decrease in heart rate variability associated with increased levels of particulate matter, and analyzed them for changes in novel parameters of another important potential change - ventricular repolarization.

Read more >

Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Mortality in the Netherlands: The NLCS-AIR Study

Research Report 139
Bert Brunekreef
Rob Beelen
Gerard Hoek
Leo Schouten
Sandra Bausch-Goldbohm
Paul Fischer
Ben Armstrong
Edward Hughes
Piet van den Brandt
2009
Topics: 
Multipollutant Mixtures
Nitrogen Oxides
Particulate Matter
Global Health

Research Report 139 describes a study in the Netherlands using data from the ongoing Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS) on diet and cancer. The study is one of the first to systematically assess longer term exposure and mortality in a well characterized European population; it followed a pilot study of 5000 adults randomly selected from the NLCS cohort conducted by the same team of investigators. For the current study, Dr.

Read more >

The Influence of Improved Air Quality on Mortality Risks in Erfurt, Germany

Research Report 137
Annette Peters
Susanne Breitner
Josef Cyrys
Matthias Stölzel
Mike Pitz
Gabriele Wölke
Joachim Heinrich
Wolfgang Kreyling
Helmut Küchenhoff
H-Erich Wichmann
2009
Topics: 
Accountability
Global Health

Research Report 137, The Influence of Improved Air Quality on Mortality Risks in Erfurt, Germany, is the first study to come out of HEI's program on the health impact of regulatory and other actions to improve air quality, known as accountability. The report describes sweeping changes in the economy and energy use that occurred in the former East Germany after the 1990 reunification as a result of stricter environmental controls and modernization of industry, transportation, and household heating. Dr.

Read more >

Health Effects of Real-World Exposure to Diesel Exhaust in Persons with Asthma

Research Report 138
Junfeng (Jim) Zhang
James E McCreanor
Paul Cullinan
Kian Fan Chung
Pamela Ohman-Strickland
In-Kyu Han
Lars Järup
Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen
2009
Topics: 
Diesel Exhaust
Particulate Matter
Global Health

Research Report 138, Health Effects of Real-World Exposure to Diesel Exhaust in Persons with Asthma, is one part of HEI's larger program on the role of particles in exacerbating asthma and other allergic diseases. This report describes a study to evaluate how inhaling air with a high concentration of diesel exhaust from vehicular traffic while walking on a busy street in Central London might affect people who had either mild or moderate asthma. Dr.

Read more >

Uptake and Inflammatory Effects of Nanoparticles in a Human Vascular Endothelial Cell Line

Research Report 136
Ian M Kennedy
Dennis Wilson
Abdul I Barakat
2009
Topics: 
Particulate Matter

Research Report 136, Uptake and Inflammatory Effects of Nanoparticles in a Human Vascular Endothelial Cell Line, is one part of HEI's larger program on the health effects of particulate matter and its various components. This report describes a one-year study to evaluate which physicochemical characteristics of metal nanoparticles may contribute to their toxicity.

Read more >

Mechanisms of Particulate Matter Toxicity in Neonatal and Young Adult Rat Lungs

Research Report 135
Kent E Pinkerton
Yamei Zhou
Caiyun Zhong
Kevin R Smith
Stephen V Teague
Ian M Kennedy
Margaret G Ménache
2008
Topics: 
Particulate Matter

Research Report 135 describes a study to determine whether the biologic response to inhaled ultrafine particles depends on particle composition. Neonatal and young adult rats were exposed to laboratory-generated ultrafine metal particles, either alone or in combination with soot, and their lungs examined for oxidative stress, inflammation, and injury.

Read more >

Black-Pigmented Material in Airway Macrophages from Healthy Children: Association with Lung Function and Modeled PM10

Research Report 134
Jonathan Grigg
Neeta Kulkarni
Nevil Pierse
Lesley Rushton
Christopher O'Callaghan
Andrew Rutman
2008
Topics: 
Particulate Matter
Global Health

Research Report 134 describes a study that evaluated whether there was an association between particles detectable in the airways of healthy children and a) estimates of local, traffic-derived PM10 at the children's home addresses or b) their lung function. Dr. Jonathan Grigg and colleagues recruited 116 healthy children aged 8 to 15 years who lived in Leicester, UK. In addition to modeling each child's exposure, the investigators measured lung function and evaluated induced sputum for particles in airway macrophages and markers of inflammation.

Read more >