Air Particulates May Prompt Heart Arrhythmias

Previous studies have shown a link between particulate air pollution and cardiovascular abnormalities in people with severe cardiovascular disease.  Duanping Liao, from Penn State University (Pennsylvania, USA), and colleagues have found that healthy people can develop arrhythmias with acute exposure to fine particulate matter.  For every 10 microgram/cubic meter  increase in the concentration of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, the researchers observed an 8% increase in the number of preventricular contractions in the first 30 minutes of exposure.  Further, an increase of 3% in these ectopic beats remained for an additional 30 minutes and decreased thereafter.  The researcher conclude that: “Exposure [to particulates smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter] … was associated with increased [preventricular contraction] counts in healthy individuals.”