Fine and Ultrafine Particles Impair Heart Function

Researchers investigating air pollution have found that inhalation of “ultrafine particles” has an almost immediate effect on heart rate variability – the ability of an individual's cardiovascular system to adapt to the demands of the current situation. Professor Annette Peters and colleagues at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, carried out the study to determine how ultrafine particles specifically affect the heart. Ultrafine particles have a diameter of less than 0.1 micrometer (100 nanometers) and are able to enter the bloodstream. Results showed that elevated concentrations of ultrafine particles, such as those found in dense road traffic, led to a change in heart rate variability within just 5 minutes of exposure. Alterations in heart rate variability are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. "The results are alarming because ultrafine particles occur generally in the environment and pose health risks for all of us – but especially for people who already have an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease," said Professor Peters. "We hope that with our data, we can substantiate the demands for threshold limit values and environmental standards in the future."