Rush hour traffic ‘more damaging to health than previously thought’

Exposure to pollutants during rush hour traffic may be more dangerous to human health than was previously thought.

This is according to a new study from Duke University, which conducted the first in-car measurements of exposure to pollutants responsible for oxidative stress during rush hour commutes, with surprising results.

Whereas most studies of traffic pollution utilise sensors placed on the ground alongside the road, this research used specially-designed sampling devices attached to passenger seats of cars during morning rush hour commutes in downtown Atlanta.

These devices detected up to twice as much particulate matter as the roadside sensors, with the pollution containing twice the amount of chemicals that cause oxidative stress – which can increase a person's risk of respiratory and heart disease, cancer, and some types of neurodegenerative disease.

Michael Bergin, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University, said:  "If these chemicals are as bad for people as many researchers believe, then commuters should seriously be rethinking their driving habits."

The researchers also called for urban planning strategies to be revised to make it easier for commuters to find alternatives to driving.

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