The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the potential for adverse cardiopulmonary effects of airborne particulate matter (PM) from coal-fired power plants and traffic-related PM sources by conducting animal exposure experiments using concentrated ambient particles (CAPs). Unlike previous experiments which have exposed animals to direct or diluted exhaust streams from coal combustion sources, the coal-related PM will represent a realistic exposure, since it will consist mostly of secondary PM formed by atmospheric conversion of SO₂ emitted by power plants.

The animal exposure experiments will be conducted with the aid of an innovative mobile ambient particle concentrator coupled with a mobile toxicological laboratory. The concentrator/laboratory will be stationed in three field locations; each location will be evaluated during both winter and summer seasons because variations in ambient concentrations and composition of PM are typically greatest between summer and winter. The first study location is near the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, MI, and is heavily influenced by both idling diesel truck traffic and gasoline-fueled commuter traffic. This site also corresponds to the location of an EPRI-funded cardiovascular epidemiology study. The second site is in Steubenville, OH, an area containing a complex mixture of regional secondary  PM as well as PM from local industrial sources. The third site is in Maurice K. Goddard State Park in Northwest Pennsylvania, an area significantly impacted by secondary PM from power plant emissions, but lacking any nearby urban or industrial influences.

In the exposure studies, spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats will be exposed to CAPs from these locations and assessed for a wide suite of cardiopulmonary endpoints, selected on the basis of prior epidemiological and toxicological findings linking PM exposure to cardiopulmonary effects. The rats will be implanted with telemeters and exposed to CAPs for 8 hours/day for 13 consecutive days, and simultaneous comprehensive exposure characterization will be carried out to enable linking of adverse health impacts with PM composition. Also, source apportionment will be carried out to enable attribution of toxicological effects to specific PM sources.

The project will generate animal data that will be directly comparable to exposures in humans, thus resulting in a truly integrative study incorporating the three health research disciplines of toxicology, epidemiology, and exposure assessment.  Secondary objectives of the study are to (1) provide insight into toxicological mechanisms of PM-induced cardiopulmonary effects, particularly as they relate to susceptible subpopulations and (2) generate toxicological data to directly correspond to epidemiology and exposure assessment data from concurrent studies being conducted at one of the project locations, providing a rich dataset of human and animal data exploring the associations between PM sources and components and health.

Overall project management and direction will be provided by EPRI.  Michigan State University will have primary responsibility for the toxicology experiments, and the University of Michigan will be responsible for collecting and interpreting the air quality data at the three sites.  At least 7 manuscripts will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals describing the toxicological results and source attribution work, and linking the Detroit toxicological results to the concurrent epidemiology and exposure assessment studies.