REMINDER: HEALTH EFFECTS OF FINE PARTICLES FROM VEHICLE EMISSIONS Forum, April 1, 2014
Source: By Energy Future Coalition • Posted: Monday, March 31, 2014
HEALTH EFFECTS OF FINE PARTICLES FROM VEHICLE EMISSIONS
Event Details
Numerous scientific studies have linked exposure to particle pollution – especially fine particles – to a variety of serious health problems and premature death. Particle pollution from gasoline use in motor vehicles is caused entirely by the use of aromatic hydrocarbons to boost octane; these compounds comprise roughly 20 percent of every gallon of fuel.
How serious is this threat? To address that question, the Energy Future Coalition and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, with the American Lung Association and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, have planned a one-day workshop that will examine recent research on particulate pollution from aromatics in motor fuel.
We invite you and your colleagues to participate in this event on Tuesday, April 1, from 9:30 am to 5 pm. It will be hosted by the Institute of Medicine in the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue, in Washington, D.C., and is free and open to the public.
The public health effects of motor fuel pollution have been topics of concern to the Energy Future Coalition for nearly a decade and have important implications for environmental and energy policy. In particular, ultra-fine particles (UFPs), because of their nano size, have a unique ability to reach the heart and lungs and enter the bloodstream, delivering a toxic payload of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). While there has been significant research into the origins and effects of larger particles, there is much less known about the nature of UFPs and their role in human health.
The purpose of this workshop is to bring together leading researchers and other experts on the sources, extent, mechanics, and health implications of these airborne particles to discuss their origins, nature and potential health effects, and to help researchers to identify remaining questions. The audience will include other researchers, air quality regulators, policymakers, public health advocates, and scientific press.
We hope you can join us for this important event. For more information, please contact Ben Springer at bspringer@energyfuturecoalition.org.
