In the effort to reduce the scientific and technical uncertainties over regulation of airborne particulate matter in the United States, "Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: II: Evaluating Research Progress and Updating the Portfolio", the second book in a four-part series requested by Congress, describes the plans of the committee to monitor the progress of the research on particulate matter conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), other federal and state government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter, Volume 2 also reviews and updates the committee's portfolio of recommended research in its first volume, "Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: I Immediate Priorities and a Long-Range Research Portfolio" (NRC, 1998). The committee substantially revised two of the ten high-priority research areas recommended in Part I. Part II notes that Congress, EPA, and the scientific community have given strong support to the committee's recommendations and have implemented substantial changes in research efforts in response to Part I of Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter, Volume 2. One important research area – studies of the effects of long-term exposure to particulate matter and other major air pollutants – however, does not appear to be underway or planned.
- The Committee's first report and its impact
- Evaluating research implementation and Progress
Updating the research portfolio
- research topic 1 - outdoor measures versus actual human exposures
- research topic 2 - Exposures of susceptible subpopulations to toxic particulate-matter components
- research topic 3 (revised) - characterization of emission sources
- research topic 4 (revised) - air-quality-model development and testing
- research topic 5 - assessment of hazardous particulate-matter components
- research topic 6 - dosimetry; deposition and fate of particles in the respiratory tract
- research topic 7 - combined effects of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants
- research topic 8 - susceptible subpopulations
- research topic 9 - mechanisms of injury
- research topic 10 - analysis and measurement
The updated research portfolio
Appendices
- biographical information on the Committee on Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter
- the Committee's statement of task