BACKGROUND Although ambient fine particulate matter (PM(2.5); particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) has been linked to adverse human health effects, the chemical constituents that cause harm are unknown. To our knowledge, the health effects of PM(2.5) constituents have not been reported for a developing country. OBJECTIVES We examined the short-term association between PM(2.5) ...

OBJECTIVES The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) outlines specific requirements governing the use of respiratory protection for workers dealing with dust or other aerosolized compounds. Health care workers may be exposed to bone dust produced during otologic procedures, creating an occupational hazard. The purpose of this research was to quantify the total suspended particula...

Increased exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiopulmonary diseases and cancer. We and others have shown that PM induces lung microvascular barrier dysfunction which potentially enhances the systemic toxicity of PM. However, the mechanisms by which PM disrupts vascular endothelial integrity remain incompletely explo...

3. Applicable Pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM), including particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (μm) in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that are in particulate form, such as most metals (except mercury is the notable exception, as a significant portion of emissi...

Air pollution epidemiologic studies use ambient pollutant concentrations as surrogates of personal exposure. Strong correlations among numerous ambient pollutant concentrations, however, have made it difficult to determine the relative contribution of each pollutant to a given health outcome and have led to criticism that health effect estimates for particulate matter may be biased due to confo...

Measurements of carbonaceous aerosols in South American cities are limited, and most existing data are of short term and limited to only a few locations. For 6 years (2002-2007), concentrations of fine particulate matter and organic and elemental carbon were measured continuously in the capital of Chile. The contribution of carbonaceous aerosols to the primary and secondary fractions was estima...

OBJECTIVES There is considerable evidence linking ambient particles measured as particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <10 microm (PM(10)) to daily mortality and hospital admissions but it is not clear which physical or chemical components of the particle mixture are responsible. The relative effects of fine particles (PM(2.5)), coarse particles (PM(2.5-10)), black smoke (mainly fine part...

Applicable Pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM), including particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (:m) in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 :m in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that are in particulate form, such as most metals (mercury is the notable exception, as a significant portion of emissions are in...

Epidemiological studies have shown a strong link between air pollution and the increase of cardio-pulmonary mortality and morbidity. In particular, inhaled airborne particulate matter (PM) exposure is closely associated with the pathogenesis of air pollution-induced systemic diseases. In this study, we exposed C57BIV6 mice to environmentally relevant PM in fine and ultra fine ranges (diameter <...

Air quality has improved in many countries, including the United States, during the past few decades.1,2 Importantly, these gains have translated into observable health benefits. Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM) have significantly contributed to the increase in life expectancy in the United States since the 1980s.2 However, the burden of adverse health effects caused by high levels of...