City cyclists inhale more soot that may damage their lungs

Washington, Sept 26 (ANI): A new research has suggested that cyclists in major cities inhale more black carbon than pedestrians, which may cause damage to the lungs.

Experts from the UK found that people who cycle through London and other major cities have higher levels of black carbon in their airway cells.

The combustion of fossil fuels results in the generation of large numbers of inhalable particles of soot (black carbon).

There is increasing evidence that inhalation of black carbon particles is associated with a wide range of health effects - including heart attacks and reduced lung function.

The researchers, led by Professor Jonathan Grigg from Barts and the London School of Medicine, aimed to identify whether the way healthy adults commute to work affects their exposure to black carbon.

They collected sputum samples from five adults who regularly cycled to work in London and five pedestrians and analysed the amount of black carbon found in their airway macrophages.

The study found that in this small sample, cyclists have 2.3-times more black carbon in their lungs when compared with pedestrians.

"The results of this study have shown that cycling in a large European city increases exposure to black carbon," said Dr Chinedu Nwokoro, one of the researchers of the study and an active cyclist.

"This could be due to a number of factors including the fact that cyclists breathe more deeply and at a quicker rate than pedestrians while in closer proximity to exhaust fumes, which could increase the number of airborne particles penetrating the lungs," Nwokoro stated.

The results were presented at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam. (ANI)