RTI International - News Release - 3.18.2009
RTI International Awarded Contract to Monitor Fine Particle Air Pollution Nationwide
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- As part of a national effort to assess the types and amounts of fine particle air pollution to which Americans are exposed, RTI International has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to analyze air filters from more than 180 communities across the nation.
Under terms of the five-year contract renewal, RTI will continue to measure and characterize samples collected through the national network of PM 2.5 monitoring stations.
PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller, particles small enough to enter small airways of the human respiratory system that have been linked to asthma and a number of other adverse health effects.
"Identifying the specific compounds on a filter sample can help to pinpoint sources of pollution," said R.K.M. Jayanty, Ph.D., a senior fellow at RTI and the project’s director. "By measuring the mass of particulate matter present we also assist in determining whether an area is attaining air-pollution reduction goals or not."
Since July 1999, RTI researchers have measured and characterized these fine particles trapped by filters in 180 monitoring stations nationwide. EPA is planning to rearrange the existing sites to also monitor coarse particles in 75 sites by 2011 while keeping the total network steady at 180 sites.
Research studies have shown that life expectancy is dramatically affected by the amount of particulate pollution in the air, especially that of the PM2.5 particles. Larger particulates have a much smaller effect on health, the studies found.