Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a number of nitrogen compounds that are by-products of combustion and occur in domestic environments following the use of gas or other fuels for heating and cooking. In this study, we examined the effect of two levels of NO2 on symptoms, lung function and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in asthmatic adults and children. In addition, in the same subjects, we exa...

We examined the feasibility of providing ambient air during exercise and conditioned (cooled) air during rest on reducing physiological strain and optimizing tolerance time. Six male soldiers attempted 250-min exposures in hot/dry and hot/wet environments. Subjects wore chemical protective clothing over the combat vehicle crewman uniform and an air-cooled vest. They alternated between 50 min of...

Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is now recognized as an important problem, both nationally and worldwide. Our scientific understanding of the spectrum of health effects of air pollution has increased, and numerous studies are finding important health effects from air pollution at levels once considered safe. Children and infants are among the most susceptible to many of the air pollutants. In a...

BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter (FPM) in ambient air causes premature mortality due to cardiac disease in susceptible populations. OBJECTIVE Our objective in this study was to determine the most influential FPM components. METHODS A mouse model of atherosclerosis (ApoE-/-) was exposed to either filtered air or concentrated FPM (CAPs) in Tuxedo, New York (85 microg/m3 average, 6 hr/day, 5...

For several weeks running now, increasing concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO 2) have been recorded on air quality monitors in Colombo. It is pertinent that the medical profession is made aware that the Sri Lanka Air Quality Index has recorded SO 2 levels entering the "unhealthy" category [1]. Burning of diesel produces SO 2 , and more fossil fuels are burnt now to meet our increasing energy ...

OBJECTIVE To study whether ambient air levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), total suspended particulates (TSP), and ozone (O3) affect the number of hospital admissions for asthma. DESIGN The associations between the daily number of admissions and air pollutants were analysed with Poisson regression, taking into account potential confounding factors by using the standardise...

BACKGROUND Adverse health effects at relatively low levels of ambient air pollution have consistently been reported in the last years. We conducted a time-series panel study of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) to evaluate whether daily levels of air pollutants have a measurable impact on the lung function of adult subjects with...

Studies show that ambient temperature and air pollution are associated with cardiovascular disease and that they may interact to affect cardiovascular events. However, few epidemiologic studies have examined mechanisms through which ambient temperature may influence cardiovascular function. The authors examined whether temperature was associated with heart rate variability (HRV) in a Boston, Ma...

1.1 Ambient air pollution Uncontrolled dispersion of engineered nanoparticles may affect human health, similarly to what has been found for exposure to particles in ambient air. Particulates (in contrast to gases) are suspected to be the major factor driving the adverse effects of e.g. traffic air pollution. Human exposure to ultrafine particles in the ambient air has been associated with adver...