Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Particulate Matter
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Overview
The Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter provides the U.S. EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health and welfare effects of particulate matter. Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs) are evaluations of the scientific information related to the human health and welfare effects of criteria pollutants. The ISAs provide a comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of the policy-relevant scientific literature, including that published since the last assessment, and serve as the scientific foundation for establishing and reviewing the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
Particulate matter (PM) emitted into air can contribute to an array of adverse effects in humans and the environment. In 2019, EPA released the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter to assess the human health and welfare effects of particulate matter. A May 2022 update, referred to as the Supplement to the 2019 Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter, provided a targeted assessment of scientific information published since the literature cut-off date of the 2019 document.
- Supplement to the 2019 Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (PDF)
- Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (PDF)
History of the ISAs for Particulate Matter
Scientific Studies Considered in the ISA
The published studies cited and considered in ISAs are identified in the Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO) database. HERO is a searchable database of more than 1.6 million scientific studies and other references used to develop EPA assessments for understanding the health and environmental effects of pollutants and chemicals. For the most recent final ISA for PM, these are identified on the ISA-PM 2019 Project Page and the ISA-PM Supplement (2022) Project Page.