Health effects of carbon-containing particulate matter: focus on sources and recent research program results

Abstract

Air pollution is a complex mixture of gas-, vapor-, and particulate-phase materials comprised of inorganic and organic species. Many of these components have been associated with adverse health effects in epidemiological and toxicological studies, including a broad spectrum of carbonaceous atmospheric components. This paper reviews recent literature on the health impacts of organic aerosols, with a focus on specific sources of organic material; it is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all the available literature. Specific emission sources reviewed include engine emissions, wood/biomass combustion emissions, biogenic emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), resuspended road dust, tire and brake wear, and cooking emissions. In addition, recent findings from large toxicological and epidemiological research programs are reviewed in the context of organic PM, including SPHERES, NPACT, NERC, ACES, and TERESA. A review of the extant literature suggests that there are clear health impacts from emissions containing carbon-containing PM, but difficulty remains in apportioning responses to certain groupings of carbonaceous materials, such as organic and elemental carbon, condensed and gas phases, and primary and secondary material. More focused epidemiological and toxicological studies, including increased characterization of organic materials, would increase understanding of this issue.

Keywords:

• biomass
• elemental carbon
• engine emissions
• epidemiology
• health effects
• organic carbon
• particulate matter
• toxicology

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the very helpful review comments offered by seven external reviewers who were selected by the Editor and, thus, anonymous to the authors. These comments were useful in improving the content and clarity of the paper. In addition, the valuable suggestions of Joe Mauderly and Ron Wyzga are greatly appreciated.

Declaration of interest

Preparation of this paper was done during the normal course of the authors' employment. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is primarily supported by the electric industry in the US and abroad. EPRI funds external research, development, and demonstration relating to the generation, delivery, and use of electricity at a number of universities and institutes worldwide. Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) is a private, biomedical research organization focusing on respiratory disease, biodefense countermeasures to other diseases, environmental toxicology and human health, drug development, and mental illness and brain disorders. LRRI and EPRI have both received funding in the past for performing research, including research reviewed in this paper.

Neither of the authors have participated as experts in regulatory or legal proceedings related to material reviewed in this paper. The planning of the paper, review of the literature, and the conclusions and recommendations made are the professional work product of the authors and are not necessarily the views of EPRI or LRRI.