You are here: Ozone, UV and Aerosol studies Projects PARHEALTH
PARHEALTH (Health effects of particulate matter in relation to physical-chemical characteristics and meteorology)
Andy Delcloo, Hugo De Backer
Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium
3, Avenue Circulaire
1180 Uccle
Contact: Andy Delcloo
Numerous studies have shown a strong association between daily mortality and fine particulate air pollution. However, component-specific toxicity has not been characterized well. In this regard the research unit of lung toxicology (KULeuven) collected unique data for Belgium on the association between fine particulate air pollution and mortality (total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality) showing that the effects of air pollution are much stronger in summer than in winter, even in our temperate climate. Until now, we can only speculate about the mechanisms underlying the much stronger association between mortality and particulates during warmer periods, even though particulate levels reach higher values in the winter.
This project aims at reducing the health risks and health costs attributable to particulate pollution, through the identification of components that are responsible for the adverse health effects. In a cohort of children and a cohort of elderly, we will measure cardiovascular and respiratory parameters in the same person within the day and across seasons and evaluate their relationship with both physical properties and specific inorganic and organic components associated with particulates. This specific experimental design will allow us to study the particulate induced effects, in association with ozone peaks, independently of the direct meteorological effects.
Elucidating the component specific toxicity and the pathophysiology of the association between cardiopulmonary effects of particulate exposure may open an important new avenue for the prevention of cardiopulmonary complications and the environmental regulations of particulate air pollution. An improved knowledge on which chemical compounds are associated with the adverse health effects will achieve cost-effective reductions in health risks to populations. In view of the high prevalence of cardiopulmonary illness, even a small benefit in terms of preventable cases, will lead to an appreciable decrease in morbidity, an increase in longevity, and in turn, to a decrease in health care costs. This project will also advise the National and Regional Governments on environmental regulations, permissible levels of particulate exposure with characterisation of specific compounds, and strategies to identify at an early stage subjects at an increased cardiopulmonary risk.
This project is funded by the Belgian Federal Public Planning Service for Science Policy under the theme "health and environment" of the "Science for a Sustainable Development (SSD)" Research Program [http://www.belspo.be/belspo/ssd/index_en.stm].
PARHEALTH is a collaboration between the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven) - Eenheid voor Longtoxicologie, the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) - Unité de toxicologie industrielle et de
médecine du travail, the Universiteit Gent (UGent) - EnVOC, the Universteit Antwerpen (UA) - Milieuchemie and the Institut Royal Météorologique de Belgique (IRM)