EPA Northwest Center for
Particulate Matter & Health
Presenting 6 years of particulate matter research on combustion derived
particles (woodsmoke, agricultural burning, diesel exhaust)
UW/EPA NW Research Center for Particulate Air Pollution and Health
One-day Symposium
Monday, January 24, 2005 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
University of Washington
Magnuson Health Sciences Center Hogness Auditorium
http://depts.washington.edu/neurolog/research/Hogness_Directions.html
Directions to Auditorium (gray open space between A and C):
http://depts.washington.edu/hsnews/maps/health_sci_map.gif
E-1 Parking Area Map: http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/northeast.html
Access off Montlake Blvd. either at the north or south end of lot.
The presentations will be in the following fields of inquiry:
epidemiology - Women's Health Initiative, MITI
exposure assessment
toxicology
biomarkers
statistical methods in epidemiology
health effects - eNO
aerosol
There is no registration fee. There is a post-symposium gathering in the 3rd Floor Lobby.
The symposium coincides with our annual External Science Review Committee meeting.
This will be the last opportunity for this EPA grant funded round of research to be publicly
presented on such a large scale. We are expecting to provide refreshments and lunch.
Please email Collen at: marquist@u.washington.edu if you plan to attend.
Local accommodations:
Watertown Hotel, 4242 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 206-826-4242 (1-866-944-4242)
University Inn, 4140 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 206-632-5055 (1-800-733-3855)
Both across the street from UWMC Roosevelt on map: http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/northwest.html
AGENDA (Draft) NW PM Center Six Year Research Symposium
January 24th
Location: Magnuson Health Sciences Bldg. Hogness Auditorium
8:30
Introduction
Koenig/Delfino
9:00
Exposure Assessment
Ambient Measurements and Personal Exposure
Predictors and Sources
Biomarkers
Source Apportionment and Health
Discussion
Moderator: Brauer
Liu
Larson
Simpson
Lumley
Hopke or Koutrakis
10:20
Epidemiology
Case-Crossover Studies
Women’s Health Initiative
Bronchiolitis in Infants
Discussion
Moderator: Burnett/Bates
Kaufman/Sullivan
Miller
Karr
Bates
11:20
Health
Acute Effects Studies: Methodological Insights
Panel Study Effects: eNO, HR, Blood
NYU, 2c
Discussion
Moderator: Delfino
Sheppard
Sullivan/Koenig
12:15
Box Lunch (will be provided)
1:00
Toxicology
Seattle PM and Mice
Mechanisms
Discussion
Zidek
Moderator: Warheit
Luchtel
Kavanagh/Rosenfeld
Mauderly
Studies started mid-term and planned for the future
2:00
Diesel Effects
Diesel Chamber
Children’s Exposure to Diesel Bus Exhaust
Discussion
Moderator: Mauderly
Trenga
Liu
Evans-Agnew
3:00
Break
3:15
MESA Air Pollution Study
Border Air Quality Study
Kaufman
Koenig/Brauer
3: 45
New Directions for Future PM Research
Discussion
Lewtas
Phil Hopke?
4:10 - 5:00
5:00 – 6:30
General Discussion
Post Symposium Gathering
Panel of eSAC members
View Research Posters
Northwest Research Center for Particulate Air Pollution and Health
University of Washington
Director: Jane Q. Koenig
Deputy Director: David A. Kalman
The theme of our EPA NW Center is combustion-derived fine particulate composition
exposure and health effects. We are completing research conducted on the unique properties of fine
particles in the Western states, where vegetative burning dominates compared to Eastern states
where sulfates dominate, on exposure assessment and health effects, epidemiology, and toxicology.
Researchers at the NW PM Center have been a resource to citizens of the Pacific Northwest
and the Western states in general. Some highlights of our NW PM Center research are:
1) increased understanding of the correlation among indoor, outdoor, personal, and central
site exposures to PM;
2) establishment of the apolipoprotein-E deficient (apoE [-/-]) mouse as an appropriate
model of susceptibility for air pollution studies;
3) investigation of acute and chronic effects of PM on cardiovascular health;
4) documentation of the use of exhaled breath nitric oxide as a non-invasive measure of
airway inflammation in air pollution studies; and
5) development of new statistical methods regarding case crossover studies and use of
source apportionment in health effects studies.
Specific findings from exposure assessment show that the correlation between personal
exposures and central site monitors does not vary significantly by subject population. Our studies
show an average of 74% of outdoor particles infiltrate indoors. We used a recursive model to
estimate infiltration efficiency to separate personal exposure to fine PM into its indoor and ambient
(outdoor) components. Our panel study in children with asthma found that outdoor-generated
particles were associated with increased exhaled nitric oxide but that indoor-generated particles
were not. Using a polynomial distributed lag model we calculated that PM2.5 exposure up to 11
hours prior to measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) was associated with increased eNO
levels. Our toxicology studies using the apoE deficient mouse show a difference in toxicity among
geographically spaced PM monitors within the Seattle area. The strongest association between
PM2.5 and inflammatory cytokines in the lungs was with a monitor in a wood smoke impacted area.
Statistical method development includes refinement of case-crossover referent assignment and use
of source apportionment in health studies.
We collaborated with researchers at Washington State University’s Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories. With other PM Centers or
agencies, we collaborated on a source apportionment workshop; a fire, smoke and health workshop;
the NYU study led by Mort Lippmann; a toxicology round robin study; and source apportionment
of PM2.5 in Seattle.
Highlights of research accomplishments are listed below:
Changes in policy at the local, state, federal or international levels
 British Columbia Lung Health and Air Quality 2002--Phase 1. Methods for
estimating and applying relationships between air pollution and health effects.
Findings from NW PM Center research were incorporated into this document.
 Results from the 2002 Fall Agricultural Burning Health Assessment study will be
used in Summer 2004 for proposed changes in agricultural burning smoke
regulations by the WA Department of Ecology (Ecology).
 Spatial variation and siting analysis results from the Seattle panel study were used by
Ecology for new air toxics site selection.

Results from the Seattle Panel studies were taken into account when Ecology was
considering tightening up the PM2.5 standards to control for toxic metals as part of
Washington air toxics regulations.
 Results from the Diesel Bus Children Exposure/Health Effect study will be used by
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in their “Diesel Solutions” program. This study is
not officially funded by the NW PM Center, however the Center is funding this as a
pilot study in Winter and Spring 2004.
 The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) initiated a pilot program directed at
reducing diesel exhaust emission in the Seattle area. This program was motivated in
part by NW PM Center source apportionment studies that identified these emissions
as being much more important in Seattle than they had previously deduced from
traditional emission inventories. These source apportionment studies were a
collaborative effort between NW PM Center investigators and PSCAA scientists.
(Lead PI: Larson) (Maykut et al. 2003).
 Expert advice was sought by the Seattle Parks Department in relation to development
of a policy for beach fires within the City, January 2004.
Changes in research directions by NW PM center research or others in the scientific
community based on your approaches or findings
 Based on our exhaled nitric oxide results in the NW PM Center Panel study:
 Measurements of exhaled nitric oxide added to NYU EPA COPD subcontract
 Measurements of exhaled nitric oxide added to USC Child Health Study
 Measurements of exhaled nitric oxide added to Agricultural Burning study in Pullman (Fall
2002) and Diesel Child study (Years 5 and 6)
 Invited to NIOHS workshop on Indoor Chemistry and Health to speak on Potential use of nitric
oxide as an indicator for exposures to products of indoor chemistry, Koenig July 12-15, 2004
 Awarded a grant from Health Canada, through a subcontract with University of British
Columbia, to collaborate on PM research in an international cross-boundary geographic
area, Koenig, Larson, Liu, Karr, and Kaufman.
 Short-term exposure measurements have been made possible in environmental
epidemiological studies through our field validation efforts and findings (Liu et al. 2002, Wu
et al. 2004).
 The use of subjects’ time-activity information to validate source apportionment results for
indoor and personal exposures has changed how exposure source apportionment analysis is
performed (Larson et al. 2004). Our recursive modeling techniques have been applied in
other studies to estimate PM infiltration efficiencies (Allen et al. 2003).
 Prior to NW PM Center work on cystic fibrosis (Goss et al. 2004), CF was not considered an
air pollution aggravated disease.
 Use of Women’s Health Initiative nation-wide cohort adds to the field’s interpretation of
cardiac risk of air pollution (heterogeneity of air pollution contributions in cohort).
Shifts in scientific consensus based in good part by NW PM Center research
 The lack of associations of between PM and cardiac effects in Seattle epidemiologic studies
has led to plans for comparing the toxicity of particles in Seattle and Boston.
 Significant PM spatial variation cannot be ignored in PM exposure modeling in the NW
region of US.
 PM exposures of susceptible subpopulations have similar correlations with central site
measurements as those of the general population.
Citations in rule makings, judicial cases or quasi-judicial proceeding
 NW PM Center research was cited before the Washington State legislature in the request by
PSCAA to base the current PM10 triggered burn ban on PM2.5.
Citations in guidance documents at the federal, state, or local level

NW PM Center research was cited in BC Lung Health and Air Quality 2002--Phase 1.
Methods for estimating and applying relationships between air pollution and health effects.
 Biostatistical research (Lumley and Sheppard) was cited in the present draft of the Air
Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter. Cardiovascular research (Levy, Sheppard, Koenig et
al.) also was cited.
Recognition of Excellence in Research
 Kristin Miller, MS, Department of Epidemiology, UW, 2004, Outstanding Abstract Award
at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Annual Meeting, New
York, New York
 Sally Liu, SD, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, UW, 2003
International Society of Exposure Analysis Joan Daisey Award for Outstanding
Contributions to the Science of Human Exposure Analysis by a Young Scientist.
 Air Toxics Team, EPA Region X recognition of their “outstanding work in the field of air
toxics,” members include Chang-fu Wu, Timothy Larson, Alison Cullen, and Sally Liu.
 Personal Particulate Organic and Mass Sampler (PPOMS), Yanbo Pang and Candis
Claiborn, Washington State University.
 Holly Janes, Biostatistics Graduate Student, won the student paper competition from the
Environmental Statistics Chapter of Journal of Statistics in Medicine. The paper is titled
“Overlap bias in the case-crossover design, with application to air pollution exposures,” and
is to be published soon in Statistics in Medicine.
 Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air & Waste Management Association 2002
Annual Publication and Outreach Committee Awards, Second Place Jorge Jimenez,
Washington State University PhC, and Third Place Ryan Allen, University of Washington
PhC.
This research was funded by US EPA Grants R827355 and R827177.