INTRODUCTION A continuing concern of the petroleum industry is the protection and improvement of the environment For this reason@ the American Petroleum Institute sponsors??in whole or in part??a substantial number of scientific research projects in the environmental area Additionally@ the petroleum companies in the United States independently sponsor such research In 1983. API's Environmental Affairs Department@ under the direction of its General Committee on Environmental Affairs@ spent $3 6 million for its environmental research program API has sponsored such research programs for a number of years@ with some funding going to projects sponsored directly by API through its Environmental Affairs Department and some going to research and activities of the Air Pollution Research Advisory Committee (APRAC) of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) The APRAC program??now in its sixteenth year?? concentrates on the study of automotive air emissions The program is supported jointly by API and the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (MVMA) This report summarizes recently completed and ongoing API environmental research projects sponsored by the Environmental Affairs Department@ as well as some of those to be undertaken in 1984 Other departments within API also sponsor research related to environmental concerns These research projects and efforts devoted specifically to regulatory response are not included in this report. Extra copies of this report are available from the Publications and Distribution Section@ American Petroleum Institute@ 1220 L Street NW@ Washington. D C 20005 Additional information on any of the research projects described in this report can be obtained from the Environmental Affairs Department@ at the same address APRAC projects@ both completed and on-going@ are reported in the current APRAC Annual Status Report@ which can be obtained from the Coordinating Research Council@ 219 Perimeter Center Parkway@ Atlanta@ GA 30346