PT Journal AU Salonen, RO SO Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health PD VL PY 2004 BP 3 EP 3 IS 2 WP https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=807 DE preface SN 0355-3140 AB

The Urban Air Particulate (PM) Consortium of the Finnish Research Programme on Environmental Health (SYTTY) in 1998-2001 managed to establish true multidisciplinary collaboration between the PM research groups in several research institutes and universities in Finland. In fact, the collaboration extended also to several foreign research institutes and universities in projects with partial funding from the European Union 5th Framework Programme of Community Research. Numerous peer-reviewed original articles have been published in the international scientific literature from this collaboration, and understanding of the physicochemical characteristics and health aspects of urban air PM pollution in subarctic climate has greatly advanced.

The purpose of this thematic supplement issue of multidisciplinary research on urban air PM pollution in Finland is to show, with the help of one review article and a selection of original articles, how the different disciplines of PM research can successfully contribute to the common ultimate goal that is risk assessment and risk management with respect to human health. New findings are reported on the following aspects of urban air PM pollution in subarctic climate: · exposure assessment of ultrafine PM · association of source-specific PM with mortality · factors affecting the resuspended road dust episodes in springtime · sources of fine PM in personal exposures and indoor environments · modeling of the long-range transported portion of fine PM · outdoor-to-indoor transport of different PM size classes and its modeling relationships of PM size distribution and physical activity with lung deposition · associations between physicochemical characteristics and toxicity.

Special emphasis in the writing and editing of the articles has been placed on showing the links between the different scientific disciplines in PM research and on making most of the texts understandable across disciplines. This enterprise has required extra effort from everyone concerned, and, therefore, I want to warmly thank the authors and external reviewers of the manuscripts for taking up the challenge and using their time and expertise to achieve this goal. I am also grateful to the Editor in Chief, Professor Mikko Härmä, and the Technical Editor, Ms Georgianna Oja, of the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health for their excellent collaboration.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the Director, Professor Jouko Tuomisto, and the Co-ordinator, Dr. Soile Juuti, of the SYTTY Programme, as well as to the Leader of the PM Consortium, Professor Juhani Ruuskanen, for their continuous support during the process of producing this thematic supplement issue. The financial support of the Academy of Finland, Finnish Research Programme on Environmental Health is also highly appreciated.

ER