EDITORIALS
Are we understanding the respiratory effects of traffic related airborne particles?
Department of Epidemiology, Rome E Health Authority, Rome, Italy
Correspondence to:
Dr Francesco Forastiere, Department of Epidemiology, Rome E Health Authority, Via Santa Costanza 53, 00198 Rome, Italy; forastiere@asplazio.it
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
There is convincing scientific evidence showing that ambient particulate matter (PM) is related to both short and long term health effects. Increased mortality and hospitalisation for cardiopulmonary causes have been noted in several studies evaluating the effects of PM10 or PM2.5 (PM <10 or 2.5 µm in diameter).1 However, urban air pollution consists of a complex mixture of gases and particulate agents that vary over time and through space, depending on its sources, distance and meteorological conditions.2 Much of the scientific interest has been devoted to the toxicology of the ultrafine fraction of airborne particles (<0.1 µm).3 These particles are usually emitted from combustion sources (eg, gasoline or diesel powered engines) or are formed from chemical conversion of gases in the atmosphere. They are relatively short lived and combine into larger particles between 0.1 and about 1 µm in diameter (accumulation mode). These particles tend to penetrate deeper in the
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Thorax 2008 63: 635-641.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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