Publications

This report presents a study led by Sara Adar of the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. Adar and colleagues conducted a thorough accountability study of a program for replacing old diesel school buses with new, lower-emitting buses across the United States.

This report presents a study led by Marie Pedersen of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Pedersen and colleagues examined children’s asthma in four Danish cohorts and focused on exposure to an array of air pollutants, including fine particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and combinations of those pollutants.

This report presents a study that assessed associations between long-term exposure to outdoor ultrafine particles (UFPs) and black carbon with mortality using several modeling approaches. The investigators applied exposure models developed through mobile monitoring in Toronto and Montreal to 1.5 million Canadian adults residing in both cities.

This report presents the results of a study led by Joshua Apte of the University of California, Berkeley, a recipient of HEI’s Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award. Apte and colleagues evaluated the use of mobile monitoring for several air pollution mapping and exposure assessment applications.

In this issue of HEI's quarterly Update, read about:

• New members of the HEI Board and scientific committees
• The launch of HEI’s Environmental Justice Program
• A new report on air quality and health impacts in Africa
• Two recently launched studies on non-tailpipe emissions

...and more!

In this issue of HEI Update, read about:

• HEI’s comprehensive new scientific review on traffic-related air pollution
• An HEI study assessing health effects at very low air pollution levels in Canada
• A new inclusive summer fellowship
• Our successful hybrid Annual Conference 2022

…and more!

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 PM_2.5 exposures across Canada from 1981 to 2016.

During 2021 we made significant progress on our ambitious goals ― from a stronger focus on the air quality–climate connection, to our Global Health research, to a deeper understanding of accountability and the health outcomes that result from air quality actions. Read about our progress in the new HEI Annual Report.

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. 

In this issue of HEI Update, read about new experts on HEI's scientific committees; a key global health study assessing the burden of disease from major air pollution sources; research funding opportunities, a New Investigator study examining air pollution and brain development in children; and more!

In this issue of Update, read about a major HEI study in Europe that found evidence of health effects at low levels of air pollution; a new Board Chair; our first-ever Director of Science Communications; steps HEI is taking toward diversity, equity, and inclusion; the launch of new studies on wildfires and the effectiveness of air quality policies, and more.

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.  

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).

In this issue of Update, read about Ellen Mantus, the new HEI Director of Science; HEI’s timely and targeted 2021 Virtual Conference (Sign Up Now!); five HEI studies underway on COVID-19, air pollution, and health; a transition in HEI’s Global Health program… and more!

In this issue of Update, read about the release of State of Global Air 2020; HEI’s progress on promoting inclusion; our prominent role in virtual international meetings on exposure science and epidemiology; and more!

Research Report 201 presents a study led by Dr. Lydia Contreras at the University of Texas, Austin, who is a recipient of HEI’s Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award. Dr. Contreras and colleagues evaluated how exposure of lung cells to volatile organic compounds plus ozone affects oxidation of ribonucleic acid, a key component of cells. The study aimed to improve understanding of the biological mechanisms by which air pollutants can cause effects in human health, thereby expanding our knowledge of potential causal links between exposure and health.

Research Report 192, Part 2, describes the second part of the Multicenter Ozone Study in oldEr Subjects (MOSES), led by Drs. David Rich and Mark Frampton of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. Part 1 of the MOSES study, Effects of Exposure to Low Concentrations of Ozone on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Outcomes, was published in 2017; Part 2 presents additional analyses.

In this issue of Update, read about HEI’s publication of two major reports evaluating the extent to which air pollution at low levels of exposure may have consequences for public health; a revised draft of our Strategic Plan for 2020–2025; a new epidemiologist appointed to the HEI Review Committee; the communication of HEI research at important government, industry, and scientific conferences; and more.

Research Report 203 describes the first-phase results of a study evaluating the relationship between long-term exposure to low concentrations of PM_2.5 and non-accidental mortality, including a characterization of the shape of the concentration–response functions, in a large population-based cohort (~9 million adults) in Canada. The report also presents the detailed Commentary on the study by HEI’s Low-Exposure Epidemiology Studies Review Panel.

In this issue of Update, read about HEI presenting science and strategies at a major symposium on transportation, air quality, and health; the release of State of Global Air 2019; the continued progress of an HEI special panel reviewing the literature on traffic-related air pollution; a new staff member managing our digital communications; and more.

Research Report 198 describes a study by Dr. Jason Surratt and his colleagues evaluating the toxicity of fine particulate matter formed from the photochemical oxidation of isoprene in a chamber.

Research Report 199 describes a study led by Dr. Xiaoliang Wang evaluating how mobile-source emissions have changed by examining real-world emissions characterization in two traffic tunnels: the Shing Mun Tunnel in Hong Kong and the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland.

The 2018 Annual Report, Promoting Dialogue, Building Trust, describes how HEI provides a balanced forum where diverse stakeholders find common ground to discuss HEI’s high quality, impartial, and relevant science informing public policy on air quality and public health. The report highlights HEI’s latest achievements and initiatives.

In this issue of Update, read about HEI’s recent testimony on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” rule; a recap of the 2018 Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois; a new HEI Communication assessing the evidence on health effects from household air pollution; progress in the new Energy Research Program; and more.

This issue of Update highlights the report of a major new HEI study, Impacts of Regulations on Air Quality and Emergency Department Visits in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, 1999–2013, led by Armistead (Ted) Russell of the Georgia Institute of Technology; the public release of data from HEI’s major ozone study, the Multicenter Ozone Study in oldEr Subjects (MOSES); a new HEI panel conducting a literature review on the health effects of traffic-related air pollution; the publication of State of Global Air 2018; appointment of two new members to the Institute’s Board of Directors; a new chair of the HEI Research Committee; and more.

Research Report 195 describes a study led by Ted Russell at the Georgia Institute of Technology as part of HEI’s Accountability Research Program. Dr. Russell and colleagues examined the extent to which regulations targeting power plants and mobile sources in the Atlanta area were effective in improving air quality and ultimately reducing cardiorespiratory emergency department visits.

HEI’s Research Report 194 describes a study led by Benjamin Barratt of King’s College London, United Kingdom, that developed a dynamic three-dimensional land-use regression model for Hong Kong and used it to estimate exposure to traffic-related air pollution.

Special Report 21, Burden of Disease Attributable to Major Air Pollution Sources in India, provides the first comprehensive analysis of the levels of fine particulate matter air pollution in India by source and their impact on health. Household burning emissions (contributing to outdoor air) and coal combustion are the single largest sources of air pollution-related health impact. Emissions from agricultural burning, anthropogenic dusts, transport, other diesel, and brick kilns also contribute significantly.

Research Report 193 describes a novel study by Jiu-Chiuan Chen and colleagues examining possible associations between long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and changes in the brains of older women in the United States. The study focused on brain volumes and neurocognitive outcomes, specifically mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Dr. Chen used neuroimaging and cognitive outcome data from women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study and estimated their exposure to ambient PM_2.5 and to diesel PM.

HEI Research Report 192 describes a multicenter study by John Balmes at the University of California–San Francisco, Phil Bromberg at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and Mark Frampton at the University of Rochester, New York. The study was designed to test whether ozone has short-term cardiovascular effects at present-day ambient levels. It evaluated respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes in 87 healthy participants (60 years old on average) who were exposed to 0, 70, or 120 ppb ozone for 3 hours while exercising moderately.

Research Report 191 describes a study by Allison Fryer and colleagues that addressed how exposure to ozone affects the immune and physiological responses in guinea pigs. In her study, Dr. Fryer focused on eosinophils, white blood cells that play an important role in inflammation, allergies, and allergic asthma, and can modify the airway response to ozone inhalation. This study tested a novel hypothesis: that allergic guinea pigs react differently to ozone than normal animals because of newly formed eosinophils that migrate from bone marrow to the lungs.

Research Report 190 describes a study by Frank Gilliland and colleagues that was funded under HEI’s Accountability research program. The investigators collected air quality data and lung function and respiratory symptoms in three cohorts of children who participated in the Children’s Health Study in Southern California. During the 20-year study period, nearly 20 major policy actions were implemented to reduce pollution from transportation and other sources. Gilliland and colleagues evaluated whether the improved air quality was associated with improved lung function and respiratory symptoms in these children.

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.

专题报告20，燃煤和其他主要大气污染源所致的中国疾病负担。报告从国家与省级层面，对中国燃煤及其他主要空气污染源释放的细颗粒物（PM_2.5）所造成当前及未来疾病负担进行了第一次综合评估。此项报告由清华大学、健康影响研究所、健康指标和评估研究所（IHME）与不列颠哥伦比亚大学联合发布，是全球疾病负担-主要空气污染源（GDB MAPS）这一国际合作项目的研究结果。分析表明，燃煤是造成空气污染、影响健康的最大元凶。2013年，仅燃煤一项在中国就导致约36.6万人过早死亡，其中以工业与民用燃煤影响最为重大。报告还指出，如不采取进一步行动，到2030年健康负担将会大幅增加。Burden of Disease Attributable to Coal-Burning and Other Air Pollution Sources in China (in English)

This edition of Update reports on HEI's presentation of GBD MAPS results at a major Chinese air pollution meeting; HEI's Annual Conference in Denver in May; two new HEI research reports on the effects of air pollution on birth and pregnancy outcomes; a meeting of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies at which HEI shared research results with diverse experts and regulators; and HEI's participation at a EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee meeting in June.

HEI Research Report 187 was funded as part of HEI’s Accountability research program, aimed at understanding whether actions to improve air quality have resulted in improved health outcomes. Corwin M. Zigler and his colleagues used existing and newly developed statistical methods to assess whether an intervention was causally related to changes in pollutant levels or health outcomes, and applied their methods in two well-developed case studies: effects of air quality interventions to reduce PM₁₀ concentrations in nonattainment areas and the impact of installation of scrubber technologies on emissions from coal-fired power plants.

This report is Part 3 of HEI Research Report 183, Development of Statistical Methods for Multipollutant Research. It describes a study to develop and apply statistical methods to analyze the effects of multipollutant exposures on health, expanding beyond the two-pollutant approaches used in many studies to date. HEI funded three innovative studies in recent years to improve the tools for analyzing complex multipollutant exposures. In this last report from these studies, John Molitor and colleagues describe a Bayesian framework to identify spatial clusters of air pollution exposures — and other covariates such as socioeconomic status — and estimated pregnancy outcomes associated with those clusters, using a data set for Los Angeles county. 

The 2015 Annual Report – Vision 2020 - describes HEI’s partnership with scientists, government, industry, and the environmental community to provide high-quality, impartial, and relevant science to inform public policy decisions about air quality and public health. The report highlights the vision underlying HEI’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 and outlines HEI’s contributions in the past year to important questions.

This Executive Summary of the Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) summarizes the main findings of emissions and health testing of new-technology heavy-duty diesel engines capable of meeting US 2007/2010 and EURO VI/6 diesel emissions standards. The results demonstrated the dramatic improvements in emissions and the absence of any significant health effects (especially cancer). ACES was the most comprehensive examination done to date of engines meeting the US 2007 and 2010 on-road standards.

This newsletter reports on the approval of new HEI studies to examine potential health effects of low-level pollution; the completion of a review of diesel exhaust studies (Special Report 19) by an HEI-appointed panel; and WHO's plans to update global air quality guidelines. In addition, it announces the publication of an HEI report taking a closer look at exposure to PM_2.5 and its composition and a report evaluating rapid heart rhythm changes after exposure to PM. HEI also announces the recipient of the 2015 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award and the appointment of three new HEI Research Committee members.

This issue reports on the publication of an Executive Summary highlighting ACES new-technology diesel results, which describes significant improvements in new diesel engines; a conference showcasing HEI science and emerging research opportunities; interest worldwide in ACES findings; how HEI staff are communicating results; the status of the oil and gas research agenda being drafted by HEI; and the status of the MOSES testing of ozone study subjects.

Contents: HEI's Strategic Plan for 2015–2020 Now Under Way;  Greenbaum Chairs NRC Review of U.S. Climate, Health Assessment; O'Keefe Closes Out Successful Run on Key Air Advisory Committee; Communicating Results - HEI Science Highlighted at EPA Workshops HEI in the News - Wide Audience for ACES Findings; Novel Statistical Methods for Studying Pollutant Mixtures; Journal Spotlights NPACT Studies; Eyes on the Future - HEI Sponsors Meet with Research Committee to Discuss the Path Forward;  Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award Announced

Contents: Major Report on Newest Diesel Engines - No Evidence of Lung Cancer in Rats after Lifetime Exposure to New-Technology Diesel Exhaust; Sign Up Now for HEI's Annual Conference 2015 in Philadelphia in May; Nominations for Committee Membership Invited; Progress on Strategic Research Plan for Oil and Gas; Better Air Quality Meeting in Sri Lanka

This report is a study focused on lung tissue repair processes after inflammation and injury resulting from exposure to particulate matter (PM) from combustion sources. Dr. Thomas H. Barker of Georgia Institute of Technology, a recipient of HEI's Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award, and his colleagues tested the hypotheses that alveolar epithelial cells grown on substrates of increasing stiffness would transition to mesenchymal cells — an early step along the pathway to fibrosis — and that the addition of fine PM would enhance these effects.

Contents: Conference Eyes Future of Air Pollution Research, Policy; Leading Health Expert to Chair Review Committee; Workshop on Unconventional Oil and Gas Development; Developing New Models for Ultrafine Particles and Air Toxics Exposures; Sharing Insight from NPACT Setting Research Priorities (Research Planning Meeting); HEI in the News; HEI Strategic Plan 2015-2020 Taking Shape

This report describes a study to identify factors that influence exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and VOC mixtures. Dr. Stuart Batterman at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and colleagues used the extensive data that HEI posted on the Web from the Relationships of Indoor, Outdoor, and Personal Air (RIOPA) study (HEI Research Report 130 Parts I and II), and data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), to characterize exposure distributions for 15 VOCs, with an emphasis on high concentrations. Factors examined included geographic location, weather, characteristics of participants' homes, and specific activities, such as pumping gas.