The EPA has awarded the University of Washington a $30 million grant to study the connection between air pollution and cardiovascular disease. The grant is the largest ever awarded by the EPA for scientific research and will contribute to a better understanding of the long-term health effects of breathing air contaminated by particulate matter and other pollutants.

In a recent evaluation of the EPA's research on particulate matter, the National Research Council highlighted the need for an epidemiology study to extend the government's knowledge of long-term PM exposure. The grant responds to this need by examining the association between ambient air pollution, including fine particles and other pollutants, and the progression of cardiovascular disease in 8,700 people ages 50 to 89.

The study will track people from varied ethnic groups who live in cities across the country. Researchers will evaluate whether long-term exposure to fine particles is associated with specific changes in atherosclerosis - buildup of plaque in the arteries - and other factors associated with heart disease.

University researchers will provide the EPA with an annual scientific report of data and findings, which the agency will use to inform its research and regulatory decisions. Visit www.epa.gov/pmresearch/pm_grant.