Exposure to concentrated coarse air pollution particles causes mild cardiopulmonary effects in healthy young adults.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is ample epidemiologic and toxicologic evidence that exposure to
fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution [aerodynamic diameter < or = 2.5 microm
(PM(2.5))], which derives primarily from combustion processes, can result in increased
mortality and morbidity. There is less certainty as to the contribution of coarse
PM (PM(2.5-10)), which derives from crustal materials and from mechanical processes,
to mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether coarse PM causes cardiopulmonary
effects, we exposed 14 healthy young volunteers to coarse concentrated ambient particles
(CAPs) and filtered air. Coarse PM concentration averaged 89.0 microg/m(3) (range,
23.7-159.6 microg/m(3)). Volunteers were exposed to coarse CAPs and filtered air for
2 hr while they underwent intermittent exercise in a single-blind, crossover study.
We measured pulmonary, cardiac, and hematologic end points before exposure, immediately
after exposure, and again 20 hr after exposure. RESULTS: Compared with filtered air
exposure, coarse CAP exposure produced a small increase in polymorphonuclear neutrophils
in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid 20 hr postexposure, indicating mild pulmonary
inflammation. We observed no changes in pulmonary function. Blood tissue plasminogen
activator, which is involved in fibrinolysis, was decreased 20 hr after exposure.
The standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), a measure of overall
heart rate variability, also decreased 20 hr after exposure to CAPs. CONCLUSIONS:
Coarse CAP exposure produces a mild physiologic response in healthy young volunteers
approximately 20 hr postexposure. These changes are similar in scope and magnitude
to changes we and others have previously reported for volunteers exposed to fine CAPs,
suggesting that both size fractions are comparable at inducing cardiopulmonary changes
in acute exposure settings.
Type
Journal articleSubject
LungCardiovascular System
Humans
Cross-Over Studies
Blood Coagulation
Heart Rate
Particle Size
Adult
Female
Male
Particulate Matter
Young Adult
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22246Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1289/ehp0900558Publication Info
Graff, Donald W; Cascio, Wayne E; Rappold, Ana; Zhou, Haibo; Huang, Yuh-Chin T; &
Devlin, Robert B (2009). Exposure to concentrated coarse air pollution particles causes mild cardiopulmonary
effects in healthy young adults. Environmental health perspectives, 117(7). pp. 1089-1094. 10.1289/ehp0900558. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22246.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Yuh-Chin Tony Huang
Professor of Medicine
Closed loop ventilation Environmental medicine Oxidative lung injuryCOPDHyperpolarized
129Xe MRI and regional lung function

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