The Health Effects Institute (HEI) is an independent, non-profit corporation specializing in research on the health effects of

air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different typ ...

. It is headquartered in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, United States. HEI was founded in 1980 with

Archibald Cox Archibald Cox Jr. (May 17, 1912 – May 29, 2004) was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy and as a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was ...

as the founding chair of the organization. Typically, HEI receives half of its core funds from the worldwide motor vehicle industry and half from the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...

. Other public and private organizations periodically support special projects or certain research programs. To accomplish its mission, HEI's roles are: * to identify the highest priority areas for health effects research * to fund and oversee research activities * to provide intensive independent review of HEI-support and related research * to integrate HEI's research results with those of other institutions into broader evaluations * to communicate its findings to industry, policy makers, and the public HEI has funded over 250 studies in North America, Europe, and Asia that have produced research to inform decisions on

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...

, air toxics,

nitrogen oxides Nitrogen oxide may refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds: Charge-neutral *Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide, or nitrogen monoxide *Nitrogen dioxide (), nitrogen(IV) oxide * Nitrogen trioxide (), or ...

diesel exhaust Diesel exhaust is the gaseous exhaust produced by a diesel type of internal combustion engine, plus any contained particulates. Its composition may vary with the fuel type or rate of consumption, or speed of engine operation (e.g., idling or at ...

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...

, particulate matter, and other pollutants. The results of these endeavors have been published in over 200 Research Reports and Special Reports which are available electronically free of charge on the HEI website or in print form. At the urging of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

and countries throughout the world, HEI has extended its international research to help inform air quality decisions in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. All project results and HEI Commentaries are widely communicated through HEI's home page, Annual Conferences, publications, and presentations to legislative bodies and public agencies.

Organizational structure

An independent Board of Directors consists of leaders in science and policy who are committed to the public-private partnership model. The Health Research Committee works with the scientific staff to develop the Five-Year Strategic Plan with input from HEI's sponsors and other interested parties, select research projects for funding, and oversee their conduct. The Health Review Committee, which has no role in selecting or overseeing studies, works with staff to evaluate and interpret the results of funded studies and related research.

References

External links

Health Effects Institute

EPA description of HEI
{{Authority control Air pollution in the United States Air pollution organizations American companies established in 1980 Environmental health organizations Environmental organizations based in Massachusetts Medical and health organizations based in Massachusetts