EPA urged to redirect studies of toxic particles

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 5/1/1998

There is general agreement that airborne particulates, including many caused by automotive, truck, and industrial emissions, can have adverse health effects. What is not so certain is which particles cause the most harm.

That is why a National Research Council committee that is examining the issue has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to shift some of its research on airborne particulates to ensure that the most serious health risks are addressed.

The recommendation came as the EPA was tightening its standards for airborne particulates. The EPA's efforts could have serious cost implications for the transportation industry and for motor carriers in particular.

In issuing the recommendation, the committee chairman, Jonathan Samet of Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, said, "[F]urther research must be done to determine precisely which particles pose the greatest health risks, and how. ... The results will greatly increase the likelihood that money spent on regulating and controlling particulates will fully protect public health."

Last July, the EPA set more stringent standards for particulates, for the first time targeting particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. Those small particles are considered more likely than large ones to reach deeply into the lungs. Congress, partly at the urging of the trucking industry, has ordered the EPA to conduct major research on health risks from ingesting particulates.