ATLANTA (AP/WAOK) -  Georgia Tech is one of five schools to receive federal grants for researching new ways to improve air quality and to track the effectiveness of pollution control measures.

The Environmental Protection Agency grants total nearly $2 million. They focus on generating better data and tools to help regulatory authorities ensure that the air is healthy to breathe.

Georgia Tech is supposed to develop a system for estimating and minimizing the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality, particularly in Georgia.

The EPA says information gathered through this new research will help with policy decisions that affect air quality, including the way states and cities address short-term air quality challenges.

Pollutants such as ozone and fine particles are linked to a variety of serious health problems.