BACKGROUND Exposure to fine particulate air pollution is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We previously demonstrated that exposure to dilute diesel exhaust causes vascular dysfunction in humans. OBJECTIVES We conducted a study to determine whether exposure to ambient particulate matter causes vascular dysfunction. METHODS Twelve male patients with stable cor...

Vertical profiles of suspended particulate trace metals were measured in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda and in the California Current, northwest Pacific. Using a new in situ pump, sufficiently large samples of particulate matter (order 10mg) were collected to allow measurement of a suite of trace metals as well as major component elements, using several different leaching techniques on separate ...

Exposure to particulate matter air pollution causes inflammatory responses and is associated with the progression of atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular mortality. Macrophages play a key role in atherogenesis by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and forming foam cells in subendothelial lesions. The present study quantified the inflammatory response in a human macrophage cell line (U9...

Particulate matter is one of the most important indoor air pollutants involved in a number of adverse health effects, such as premature deaths and increased mortality of infants and other parts of sensitive population. This paper focuses on investigation of metal substances of suspended as well as settled particulate matter in indoor environment. The monitoring of particulate matter concentrati...

AIMS To assess the relation between ambient, indoor, and personal levels of PM2.5 and its elemental composition for elderly subjects with cardiovascular disease. METHODS In the framework of a European Union funded study, panel studies were conducted in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Helsinki, Finland. Outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were measured at a fixed site. Each subject's indoor and person...

This study presents one of the first long term datasets including a statistical summary of PM2.5 concentrations obtained from one-year monitoring in 190 cities in China. We found only 25 out of 190 cities could meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of China, and the population-weighted mean of PM2.5 in Chinese cities are 61 μg/m(3), ~3 times as high as global population-weighted mean,...