particulate matter tagged posts

1. A schematic of the sampling device built by researchers to measure levels of toxic particulate matter present during rush hour inside of a typical car cabin
2. A dashboard view from a vehicle taking measurements of certain types of pollutants during rush hour in Atlanta

In-car air study of commuting cars finds dangers to human health. The first in-car measurements of exposure to pollutants that cause oxidative stress during rush hour commutes has turned up potentially alarming results. The levels of some forms of harmful particulate matter inside car cabins was found to be twice as high as previously believed. Most traffic pollution sensors are placed on the ground alongside the road and take continuous samples for a 24-hour period...

“Air Pollution and Mortality in the Entire Medicare Population,” Qian Di, Yan Wang, Antonella Zanobetti, Yun Wang, Petros Koutrakis, Christine Choirat, Francesca Dominici, Joel D. Schwartz, New England Journal of Medicine, June 29, 2017, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1702747k

Study of US seniors Strengthens link between Air Pollution and Premature Death

A new study of 60 million Americans – about 97% of people age 65 and older in the US – shows that long-term exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone increases the risk of premature death, even when that exposure is at levels below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) currently established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Harvard T.H...