Systematic Review Supports Regulation of Coarse Particles
A systematic review of the epidemiological literature published in the European Respiratory Journal examined studies that have investigated the effects of both fine and coarse particles, and found that for some health endpoints, the effects are even stronger for coarse particles than for fine.
Specifically, the paper finds that “in studies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and respiratory admissions, coarse PM has a stronger or as strong short-term effect as fine PM, suggesting that coarse PM may lead to adverse responses in the lungs triggering processes leading to hospital admissions.” The review also found support for an association between coarse PM and cardiovascular hospital admissions.
With respect to the toxicology of coarse particles, the review concluded that “studies clearly show that coarse PM exerts toxic effects in laboratory experiments, and that such effects are at least as potent as those observed in experiments using fine PM, when expressed on a mass basis,” while cautioning that fine particles may deliver a higher dose of toxic material to the lungs. Researchers concluded that the coarse particle fraction is of importance in the regulatory process as well as for control measures.
In an accompanying editorial, Swedish, German, and Dutch researchers argued that systematic review offers evidence for the separate regulation of the coarse particle fraction.
Brunekreef B, Forsberg B. Epidemiological Evidence of Effects of Coarse Airborne Particles on Health. Eur Respir J 2005; 26:309-318.
For a copy of the abstract click here.
Sandström T, Nowak D, and van Bree L. Health Effects of Coarse Particles in Ambient Air: Messages for Research and Decision-Making. Eur Respir J 2005; 26:187-188.
For a copy of the article click here.
