| Title: | Personal exposure to specific volatile organic compounds and acute changes in lung function and heart rate variability among urban cyclists |
| Author(s): | Weichenthal S; Kulka R; Belisle P; Joseph L; Dubeau A; Martin C; Wang D; Dales R; |
| Address: | "Health Canada, Air Health Sciences Division, Ottawa, ON, Canada. scott.weichenthal@hc-sc.gc.ca" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envres.2012.06.005 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1096-0953 (Electronic) 0013-9351 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the acute cardiorespiratory effects of specific volatile organic compound (VOC) exposures from traffic pollution. METHODS: A cross-over study was conducted among 42 healthy adults during summer 2010 in Ottawa, Canada. Participants cycled for 1-h along high and low-traffic routes and VOC exposures were determined along each route. Lung function, exhaled nitric oxide, and heart rate variability were monitored before cycling and 1-4h after the start of cycling. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to examine the relationship between 26 VOCs and acute changes in clinical outcomes adjusted for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Each inter-quartile range (IQR) increase in propane/butane exposure was associated with a 2.0 millisecond (ms) (95% CI: 0.65, 3.2) increase in SDNN (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals), a 24 ms(2) (95% CI: 6.6, 41) increase in HF (high frequency power), and a 65 ms(2) (95% CI: 11, 118) increase in LF (low frequency power) in the hours following cycling. IQR increases in ethane and isoprene were associated with a 5.8 ms (95% CI: -9.8, -1.7): decrease in SDNN and a 24 ms(2) (95% CI: -44, -7.9) decrease in HF, respectively. IQR increases in benzene exposure were associated with a 1.7 ppb (95% CI: 1.1, 2.3) increase in exhaled nitric oxide and each IQR increase in 3-methylhexane exposure was associated with a 102 mL (95% CI: -157, -47) decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1-s. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to traffic-related VOCs may contribute to acute changes in lung function, inflammation, or heart rate variability" |
| Keywords: | Air Pollutants/*toxicity Bayes Theorem *Bicycling *Environmental Exposure Heart Rate/*drug effects Humans Lung/*drug effects/physiology *Urban Population Volatile Organic Compounds/*toxicity; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWeichenthal, Scott Kulka, Ryan Belisle, Patrick Joseph, Lawrence Dubeau, Aimee Martin, Christina Wang, Daniel Dales, Robert eng Netherlands 2012/07/11 Environ Res. 2012 Oct; 118:118-23. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.06.005. Epub 2012 Jul 8" |
