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Acute exposure to elevated PM2.5 generated by traffic and cardiopulmonary health effects in healthy older adults

Abstract

There are evidences for exposure to vehicular emissions and adverse cardiopulmonary health effects. This study attempted to further explore these effects on elderly. This study monitored personal PM2.5 concentrations and ambulatory electrocardiograms continuously for 24 h on 1 working day in 3 separate weeks for 11 school crossing guards. Spirometry was also performed before and after the morning shift. The traffic at each work location was video recorded during one of the three morning shifts. The increases in the average personal PM2.5 concentrations (baseline PM2.5 was subtracted) of 1.2–87 and 1.1–98 μg/m3 were observed during the 1-h morning (ΔPM2.5-ave-m) and afternoon shift (ΔPM2.5-ave-a), respectively. Traffic count was not a significant predictor of the ΔPM2.5-ave-m (P=0.78). Mean heart rate variability (HRV), measured as 5-min standard deviation of normal-to-normal (SDNN) beats during the 10-min rest periods, decreased 18–26% (P<0.02) 15 min, 2 and 4 h after the morning shift, but changes in SDNN (ΔSDNN) were insignificant post-afternoon exposure (−0.3 to −7% with P>0.53). ΔSDNN were negatively associated with ΔPM2.5-ave-m, with the strongest association at 2 h after the morning shift (P<0.01) but insignificant 4 h after the morning exposure. The peak PM2.5 concentration (ΔPM2.5-peak, baseline PM2.5 was subtracted) was not a significant predictor for ΔSDNN, and no clear effect of PM2.5 exposure on heart rate was observed. There was no effect of PM exposure on lung function (P>0.16), either. In conclusion, acute exposure to the PM2.5 resulting from mobile sources can cause acute decline in HRV in healthy older adults, suggesting one of the biological mechanisms for the adverse cardiovascular health effects associated with traffic-related air pollution. Traffic count may not be an appropriate surrogate measure of acute personal exposure to vehicular emission in traffic congested areas.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by the NIEHS sponsored UMDNJ Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (NIEHS P30ES005022), Q. Meng is a US EPA/NCEA-DOE/ORISE research fellow. We thank Dr. Linda Bonanno from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for providing contact information for the Paterson Police Department in New Jersey. We also thank the subjects for their participation and the support from the Paterson Police Department. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the funding agencies and US EPA.

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Correspondence to Zhihua (Tina) Fan.

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Fan, Z., Meng, Q., Weisel, C. et al. Acute exposure to elevated PM2.5 generated by traffic and cardiopulmonary health effects in healthy older adults. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 19, 525–533 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2008.46

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