Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Analytical and Facilities Core
EPA Grant Number: R827353C016Subproject: this is subproject number 016 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R827353
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Health Effects Institute (2015 - 2020)
Center Director: Greenbaum, Daniel S.
Title: Analytical and Facilities Core
Investigators: Godleski, John J. , Wolfson, Jack M. , Koutrakis, Petros , Demokritou, Philip
Institution: Harvard University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: June 1, 1999 through May 31, 2005 (Extended to May 31, 2006)
RFA: Airborne Particulate Matter (PM) Centers (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Particulate Matter , Air
Objective:
The Analytical and Facilities Core of the particulate matter (PM) Center supported the development of a wide variety of technologies useful for Center Projects and also useful for other studies of particle health effects, all of which have resulted in peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts currently are in preparation. Two especially important technologies are the multi-pollutant sampler and the ultrafine particle concentrator, which are described briefly below, along with a summary description of the other technologies.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Multipollutant Sampler
A personal multipollutant sampler has been developed that can be used for measuring exposures to particulate matter and criteria gases. The system uses a single personal sampling pump that operates at a flow rate of 5.2 liters per minute (LPM). The basic unit consists of two impaction-based samplers for PM2.5 and PM10 attached to a single elutriator. Two mini PM2.5 samplers are also attached to the elutriator for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), sulfate, and nitrate measurements. For the collection of nitrate and sulfate, the minisampler includes a miniaturized honeycomb glass denuder that is placed upstream of the filter to remove nitric acid and sulfur dioxide and to minimize artifacts. Two passive samplers can also be attached to the elutriator for measurements of gaseous copollutants such as O3, SO2, and NO2. The performance of the multipollutant sampler was examined through a series of laboratory chamber tests. The results showed good agreement between the multipollutant sampler and reference methods. The overall sampler performance demonstrates its suitability for personal exposure assessment studies.
Ultrafine Particle Concentrator
The ultrafine particle concentrator produces exposure atmospheres for toxicological testing that have concentrations increased above ambient levels by a factor of 40 to 50. This method involves condensational growth (with supersaturated water vapor) to sizes large enough to concentrate using a two stage virtual inertial impactor. Following being concentrated in the impactor, a thermal dryer is used to remove condensed water and restore the particles to their original sizes. Validation tests showed that, with an optimum supersaturation ratio, all ultrafine particles grow and get concentrated by about the same enrichment factor, regardless of their composition and surface properties. This system delivers 58 LPM of concentrated aerosol that can be used for in-vivo or in-vitro inhalation toxicological studies.
Other Technologies
Several of the new technologies developed by this Core employ conventional inertial impactors for size-selective collection of particles that use the polyurethane foam impaction substrates previously developed by the Aerosol Properties Laboratory at Harvard, including the following:
- High Volume Cascade Impactor for Toxicological and Chemical Characterization Studies;
- Compact Multistage (Cascade) Impactor for the Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols;
- Impactor for a PM2.5 Speciation Sampler;
- High Loading PM2.5 Speciation Sampler, and;
- Personal Cascade Impactor.
Other technologies developed by this Core employ inertial virtual impactors to separate particles by size, while keeping them suspended in air, including the High Volume Coarse Particle Concentrator and the Dichotomous Slit Nozzle Virtual Impactor.
A novel technological system was also developed by this Core for continuous measurements of ambient particle deposition in human subjects. Three other new technologies were developed by this Core for the Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) study, including:
- a system for the toxicological evaluation of particles generated from coal-fired power plants;
- a photochemical chamber for the toxicological study of coal combustion emissions, and;
- a counter-current parallel plate membrane denuder for the nonspecific removal of gases from an aerosol stream.
Supplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Air, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, Toxicology, particulate matter, Air Pollution Monitoring, Environmental Chemistry, air toxics, Epidemiology, Air Pollution Effects, Environmental Microbiology, Risk Assessments, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Health Effects, Physical Processes, Environmental Monitoring, Atmospheric Sciences, indoor air, Children's Health, genetic susceptability, Biology, Risk Assessment, particulates, microbiology, ambient air quality, chemical exposure, interindividual variability, molecular epidemiology, sensitive populations, monitoring, cardiopulmonary responses, human health effects, ambient air monitoring, indoor exposure, health risks, air pollutants, exposure and effects, PM 2.5, ambient air, biological response, ambient measurement methods, pulmonary disease, developmental effects, respiratory disease, exposure, lead, children, Human Health Risk Assessment, air pollution, particle exposure, biological mechanism , ambient monitoring, inhalation, pulmonary, assessment of exposure, susceptibility, particulate exposure, cardiopulmonary response, ambient particle health effects, human exposure, environmental health hazard, inhalation toxicology, human susceptibility, indoor air quality, inhaled particles, cardiopulmonary, air quality, respiratory, dosimetry, cardiovascular disease, genetic susceptibility, human health riskRelevant Websites:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/epacenter/epa_center_99-05/index.html Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R827353 Health Effects Institute (2015 - 2020) Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R827353C001 Assessing Human Exposures to Particulate and Gaseous Air Pollutants
R827353C002 Quantifying Exposure Error and its Effect on Epidemiological
Studies
R827353C003 St. Louis Bus, Steubenville and Atlanta Studies
R827353C004 Examining Conditions That Predispose Towards
Acute Adverse Effects of Particulate Exposures
R827353C005 Assessing Life-Shortening Associated with Exposure to
Particulate Matter
R827353C006 Investigating Chronic Effects of Exposure to Particulate
Matter
R827353C007 Determining the Effects of Particle Characteristics on Respiratory Health of Children
R827353C008 Differentiating the Roles of Particle Size, Particle Composition,
and Gaseous Co-Pollutants on Cardiac Ischemia
R827353C009 Assessing Deposition of Ambient Particles in the Lung
R827353C010 Relating Changes in Blood Viscosity, Other Clotting Parameters,
Heart Rate, and Heart Rate Variability to Particulate and Criteria Gas Exposures
R827353C011 Studies of Oxidant Mechanisms
R827353C012 Modeling Relationships Between Mobile Source Particle Emissions and Population Exposures
R827353C013 Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) Study
R827353C014 Identifying the Physical and Chemical Properties of Particulate Matter Responsible for the Observed Adverse Health Effects
R827353C015 Research Coordination Core
R827353C016 Analytical and Facilities Core
R827353C017 Technology Development and Transfer Core
The 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.