Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: Health Effects Institute (2020-2025): A Partnership on the Health Effects of Air Pollution
EPA Grant Number: CR839981Title: Health Effects Institute (2020-2025): A Partnership on the Health Effects of Air Pollution
Investigators: Greenbaum, Daniel S.
Institution: Health Effects Institute
EPA Project Officer: Keating, Terry
Project Period: April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: April 1, 2020 through March 31,2021
Project Amount: $25,000,000
RFA: Health Effect Institute (HEI) (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Airborne Particulate Matter Health Effects , Human Health
Objective:
To support research on the health effects of emissions from motor vehicles, fuels, and other sources of environmental pollution. Themes guiding the research program are Accountability: Testing the Links Between Air Quality Actions and Health; Complex Questions for the Air Pollution Mixture; Transport and Urban Health; and Global Health.
Progress Summary:
During the past year under Award CR83998101, HEI has made significant progress in meeting its goals. HEI started many new studies with additional studies under negotiations. A list of ongoing studies (as of March 31, 2021) is provided in Table 1 (attached). Highlights of HEI activities include the following:
Accountability: Testing the Links Between Air Quality Actions and Health
- Under its accountability program, HEI completed its seminal study of the goods movement program in California (published in June 2021). In addition, it funded four new studies in a third wave of accountability studies. Studies in the United States are evaluating a national school bus diesel retrofit program, and national and local programs to reduce emissions from motor vehicles emissions control in Houston, Texas. Studies in rapidly developing China are evaluating the effect of national policies to reduce air pollution on mortality and a program to subsidize clean energy for home cooking and heating in villages around Beijing. A fifth study is calculating mortality benefits per ton emissions reduction of NOx and other pollutants. A sixth study funded is under negotiation. In addition, one of the studies funded under the air pollution and Covid-19 program (see below) has an accountability component to it—to investigate the effect of pandemic lockdowns on air quality and health outcomes.
Complex Questions for the Air Pollution Mixture
- HEIfunded investigators have continued research in three comprehensive and rigorous studies on the effects of low levels of exposure to air pollution in very large cohorts. In addition to further publications in peerreviewed journals, final (Phase 2) reports are in review. HEI expects to publish the reports in late 2021 and early 2022. Initial results were presented at the 2021 HEI annual conference in May 2021. Further work is ongoing through the end of 2021 and will be included in an overall synthesis of the program that HEI plans to develop and publish in 2022.
- At the request of sponsors, HEI developed and issued in record time a research program on the interaction of air pollution and Covid19 health outcomes. Two studies have now started, one in Denmark and one in Spain. Three studies in the United States and elsewhere are under negotiation and are expected to start in the summer of 2021.
- To improve our understanding of air pollution exposure, HEI funded five new studies to improve exposure assessment of outdoor air pollutants. Studies in the United States and Europe focus on approaches that exhibit a high degree of variation in space and time and apply emerging technologies and other novel approaches, such as phone apps. The overall goal is to design approaches that can be applied to longterm epidemiology studies.
- Additional research was funded through our new investigator award to support researchers at the early stages of their career. Two new investigator studies are conducting research on mechanisms underlying health effects of air pollution and focus on changes in the gut microbiome in infants and on the role of reactive oxygen species in inflammation. Other studies focus on neurological outcomes, including brain morphology and autism in children and prefrontal connectivity and behavioral outcomes in adolescents.
- Under open solicitations for research that falls within the broader HEI Strategic Plan 20202025 but outside major RFA topics, one study of susceptible populations and neighborhood stressors was completed and is expected to be published in June 2021. Two studies of wildfires and agricultural burning are under negotiation.
Transport and Urban Health
- A special HEI panel, charged with reviewing the current state of the science concerning the health effects from exposure to trafficrelated air pollution continued its rigorous review of the literature in an update of HEI’s wellcited 2010 review. The development of a systematic review protocol has led to various activities on evidence synthesis, including sessions at HEI’s 2021 annual conference and other meetings. The Panel completed its review in Spring, and the report is currently undergoing peer review. Publication is expected in 2022.
- To improve our understanding of exposure and health effects from trafficrelated air pollution, research continued in a number of studies. Three studies are evaluating health effects of exposure to trafficrelated emissions and noise in urban settings, taking into account transportation modes and access to green space. The 4-year studies are expected to be completed in 2023. Additional work focuses on mobile monitoring campaigns using Google street-view cars.
Global Health
- Various ongoing studies are conducted in countries in Europe and Asia as described above, ensuring the global relevance of our work in settings of both low and high levels of air pollution.
- In addition, with separate funding from other sources, HEI continued its work on the Global Burden of Disease, including disease burdens attributed to ambient air pollution sources in developing countries, estimation of NO2 levels and asthma across the globe, and publication of the 2020 State of Global Air report and website.
Detailed information on the ongoing studies can be found here: https://www.healtheffects.org/research/ongoing-research
Future Activities:
Highlights of the activities for the next reporting period include the following:
- Research on health effects at low levels of air pollution will continue during the next year. HEI will publish the Phase 2 reports, along with commentaries by the review panel, for all three studies and prepare a synthesis of the program. Also, the investigators are expected to publish their results in peer-reviewed journals.
- In the area of exposures and health effects from traffic-related air pollution, the traffic literature review is undergoing peer review and will be revised and published in early 2022. Ongoing studies of traffic-related air pollution and noise will continue into 2023.
- To improve assessment of air pollution exposure, five new studies are underway and will continue into 2023.
- Accountability – HEI will publish the report on goods movement policies in California (Research Report 205). Four new studies in the United States and China are underway. A fifth study in the United States is expected to start.
- Five new studies on air pollution, Covid-19, and health and two new studies on wildfires and agricultural burning will be underway.
- Work will continue with more than 30 HEI-supported studies, funded under various programs, during the year. This is the largest research program HEI has underway in 2 decades.
- HEI will embark on research planning for possible new research programs, for example, on environmental justice, satellite data, non-tailpipe emissions, and evidence synthesis, with expert workshops to start the planning process.
- HEI will continue to work on several cross-cutting areas, for example, finding the best mechanisms for data sharing and data access, including disadvantaged populations in its research, and applying the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its operations.
- In addition, with separate funding from other sources, HEI plans to continue its Global Health program. HEI expects to publish reports on disease burdens attributed to ambient air pollution sources in developing countries, the 2021 State of Global Air report, and continued involvement with the Global Burden of Disease project, for example global estimates for NO2 exposure and asthma. New initiatives will focus on sources of air pollution in Eastern Europe, exposure and health outcomes in India, and children’s health in Ghana, Africa.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 37 publications | 37 publications in selected types | All 12 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Hoffmann B, Roebbel N, Gumy S, Forastiere F, Brunekreef B, Jarosinska D, Walker KD, van Erp AM, O'Keefe R, Greenbaum D, Williams M, Krzyzanowski M, Kelly FJ, Brauer M, Bruyninckx H, Boogaard H (2020). Air pollution and health:recent advances in air pollution epidemiology to inform the European Green Deal:a joint workshop report of ERS, WHO, ISEE and HEI. European Respiratory Journal, 56:2002575. |
CR839981 (2020) CR839981 (2021) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Air quality, Accountability, Global research, Public healthRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.