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Enhancing Air Pollution Exposure Assessment in the 21st Century by Measurement and Modeling
Citation:
LIOY, P. J., T. H. WATKINS, AND G. ALLEN. Enhancing Air Pollution Exposure Assessment in the 21st Century by Measurement and Modeling. EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, (10/2009):42-45, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
Exposure assessments may be conducted using measurement data, modeling results, or through a combination of measurements and models. Models are required to estimate exposure when measurement data is insufficient due to spatial or temporal gaps (e.g., for refined local scale assessments) or if an estimate of exposure is required when no measurements exist (e.g., 10 evaluate alternative risk management options). However, the advanced modeling tools needed for exposure assessments in the future require measurement data for both their development, including exposure information to evaluate models the estimate exposures and dose for similar conditions. This article discusses why current and future air quality management issues require enhanced exposure assessment approaches, the role of exposure assessment in past monitoring studies, what measurements are needed to enhance exposure models, and new measurement and modeling approaches for estimating human exposures to air pollution.
URLs/Downloads:
Enhancing Air Pollution Exposure Assessment in the 21st Century by Measurement and Modeling (PDF, NA pp, 1744 KB, about PDF)EM
