EFFICIENCY OF AUTOMOTIVE CABIN AIR FILTERS TO REDUCE ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST IN HUMAN SUBJECTS

The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of different automotive cabin air filters to prevent penetration of components of diesel exhaust, thereby reducing biomedical effects in humans. Filtered air and unfiltered diluted diesel exhaust (DDE) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively, and were compared with exposure to DDE filtered with 4 different filter systems. 32 healthy, non-smoking subjects participated in the study. Each subject was exposed 6 times for 1 hr in a specially designed exposure chamber: once to air, once to unfiltered DDE, and once to DDE filtered with the 4 cabin air filters. Particle concentrations during exposure to unfiltered DDE were kept at 300 mu g/m sup(3). Two of the filters were particle filters, and the other 2 were particle filters combined with active charcoal filters. Subjective symptoms were recorded and nasal airway lavage (NAL), acoustic rhinometry, and lung function measurements were performed. The 2 particle filters decreased concentrations of diesel exhaust particles by about 50%, but did not reduce the intensity of symptoms induced by the exhaust. The combination particle filters with active charcoal greatly reduced symptoms and discomfort caused by the diesel exhaust. The efficacy of these filters may depend on their ability to reduce certain HCs. No acute effects on NAL, rhinometry, and lung function variables were found.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13510711
• Corporate Authors:

  BMJ Publishing Group

  BMJ House, Tavistock Square
  London WC1H 9JR,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • RUDELL, B
  • Wass, U
  • Hoerstedt, P
  • Levin, J-O
  • Lindahl, R
  • RANNUG, U
  • Sunesson, A-L
  • Oestberg, Y
  • SANDSTROEM, T
• Publication Date: 1999-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 222-231
• Serial:
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
  • ISSN: 1351-0711
  • EISSN: 1470-7926
  • Serial URL: http://oem.bmj.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air filters; Automobiles; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Health hazards; Human subject testing; Hydrocarbons; Particles; Pollutants; Polluting gases
• Uncontrolled Terms: Active charcoal filters
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00798771
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 21 2000 12:00AM