CardioExchange Archive

A commonly available particle trap can dramatically reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines and may prevent adverse cardiovascular effects from the emissions, according to a new study published in Circulation. In a randomized, double-blind, three-way crossover trial, Andrew Lucking and colleagues compared the effects of filtered air to diesel exhaust with or without a particle trap for 1 hour in 19 healthy male volunteers.

They report that the particle trap reduced  both the number of particle emissions (by more than a factor of 1000) and their size (from 320 to 7.2 µg/m3). This was associated with increased vasodilatation, reduced thrombus formation, and increased tPA release. No adverse effects appeared to be associated with the particle trap. The authors conclude: “Given these beneficial effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular health, the widespread use of particle traps on diesel-powered vehicles may have substantial public health benefit and reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.”

In an accompanying editorial, Robert Brook and Jeffrey Brook (chair and author, respectively, of the AHA’s scientific statement on air pollution and cardiovascular disease) write that “given the paucity of human data, these new findings carry substantial weight” and “support ongoing efforts to reduce particle pollution through programs targeting diesel emissions.”