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EPA grants $32 million to study air pollution impacts
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will give four universities $8 million each to study how air pollution affects the public's health.
The EPA last year adopted stricter rules, already in place in California and 13 other states, that require emissions from new cars sold or leased to be cut 30 percent by 2016. Under the standards, new vehicles would have to average 35.5 miles per gallon.
Despite the projected decline in emissions, the EPA is still seeking ways to improve air quality and hopes research from schools in Atlanta, Boston, East Lansing, Mich., and Seattle will help. Emory University, Harvard University, Michigan State University and the University of Washington will receive grants totaling $32 million to study how air pollution affects children and senior citizens.
The universities will consider whether living in certain communities increases susceptibility to respiratory problems stemming from air pollution.
Each school will start a "Clean Air Research Center," EPA assistant administrator for research and development Paul Anastas said in a statement announcing the funding.
“These centers are critical to understanding how to improve air quality and protect Americans’ health from complex mixtures of air pollutants,” Anastas said. “The centers will focus on important scientific questions remaining in air research.”
Information on the grants can be found here.
