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Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: IV. Continuing Research Progress (2004)

Chapter: Appendix B: The Committee's Statement of Task

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: The Committee's Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: IV. Continuing Research Progress. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10957.
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Appendix B
The Committee’s Statement of Task

The committee will assess research priorities, develop a conceptual research plan, and monitor research progress toward improved understanding of the relationships between airborne particulate matter (PM), its various sources, and its effects on public health. The study will focus on PM-related research being conducted, funded, or planned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the context of PM-related research being conducted, funded, or planned by other agencies and organizations in the United States and abroad.

Four reports will be prepared. The first report, required by Congress within four months of project initiation, will be a brief interim report identifying the most important short-term (3 years) research priorities relevant to evaluating, setting, and implementing primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM). It will be followed by three major reports. The first major report, required by Congress within 12 months of project initiation, will expand upon the assessment of short-term research priorities, identify longer-term research needs, and present conceptual plans for research and the monitoring and evaluation of research. Subsequent reports at the end of the third and fifth years will evaluate research progress and update the research priorities and plans as warranted. The project was started in December 1997 and is sponsored by the EPA.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: The Committee's Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter: IV. Continuing Research Progress. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10957.
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In 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established regulatory standards to address health risks posed by inhaling tiny particles from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other sources. At the same time, Congress and the EPA began a multimillion dollar research effort to better understand the sources of these airborne particles, the levels of exposure to people, and the ways that these particles cause disease.

To provide independent guidance to the EPA, Congress asked the National Research Council to study the relevant issues. The result was a series of four reports on the particulate-matter research program. The first two books offered a conceptual framework for a national research program, identified the 10 most critical research needs, and described the recommended timing and estimated costs of such research. The third volume began the task of assessing initial progress made in implementing the research program. This, the fourth and final volume, gauged research progress made over a 5-year period on each of the 10 research topics. The National Research Council concludes that particulate matter research has led to a better understanding of the health effects caused by tiny airborne particles. However, the EPA, in concert with other agencies, should continue research to reduce further uncertainties and inform long-term decisions.

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