Why Diesel Particulates Cause Cardiovascular Disease
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - 11:21
in Physics & Chemistry
A previously unknown mechanisms may explain why air pollution in the form of particulates causes heart attacks, stroke, and increasing mortality. Particulates in diesel exhaust are a substantial cause of the negative health effects traced to air pollution, above all in traffic environments. Diesel exhaust contains a number of extremely tiny particles about 1/10,000 mm in diameter, with chemical compounds bound to the surface that have been suggested to lie behind the ability of these particles to cause harmful health effects.