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WOODPART - Acute
effects of wood smoke particles - an experimental study of real life
exposures.
The SNAP programme has its focus on air pollution from road traffic
and wood smoke, the two major emissions sources for fine particles and
certain other pollutants in Sweden. The present study aims at better
understanding the mechanisms of the health effects, a research area with
priority in the present call. The study will be performed at exposure to
wood smoke, and will therefore complement another SNAP-project (SALUT II),
studying acute effects of traffic exhausts. Moreover, since inflammatory
effects on the airways will be studied by breath analyses, it will add new
effect measures, scarcely used previously. The project will gain from the
experience and funding of two other SNAP-projects in the research group
('Wood smoke' and 'Personal PM2,5'). It will also gain from experience and
funding of projects in the STEM programme.
Residential wood
burning is assumed to contribute about half of the Swedish emissions of
fine particles, PAHs and VOCs. Advances in risk assessment are essential
for local, regional, and national regulative and preventive work.
The aim is to find
out if moderate exposure to fine particles (fresh or somewhat aged) from
wood smoke in a real life situation causes an inflammatory response in
airways or peripheral blood of healthy subjects.
15 healthy subjects
will be examined before and on repeated occasions after:
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4 hours of
exposure to fresh wood smoke (PM2,5 about 150 mg/m3).
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4 hours of
exposure to aged wood smoke (PM2.5 about 150 mg/m3).
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4 hours of
breathing normal indoor air.
Exposure will take
place in a normal residential setting using wood burning in an appropriate
wood stove/open fire place. Fine particle mass (PM2.5, PM1), elemental
characterisation (XRF), number concentrations (SMPS), and 'black smoke'
will be measured, as well as gaseous compounds (NO2, aldehydes).
Established (eNO) and novel (condensate markers) methods will be used for
assessing airway inflammation using breath analysis. In addition,
inflammatory markers in peripheral blood (CRP, fibrinogen, neutrofils,
erythrocytes, platelets, factor VII, D-dimer, CC16) will be quantified.
Subjective symptoms (airways, eyes, and general) will be recorded using
VAS scales. Dissemination will follow that of the SNAP programme, i.e.
results will be presented on the regional, national, and international
levels, to authorities, stake-holders, in journals, and at workshops and
conferences. |
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