ABSTRACT
References .....................................................................................................................................282
Linkage between exposure to particulate matter (PM) !10 mm in aerodynamic diameter (PM
)
and a number of acute and chronic health effects throughout the industrialized world has been well
established in epidemiological studies (e.g., [1-3]). Acute effects include mortality, hospitalization,
increased respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, increased plasma viscosity, changes in
heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), and pulmonary inflammation [4]. Chronic effects
associated with particulate exposures include increased mortality rates (e.g., cancer), chronic
cardiopulmonary disease, and decreased lung function [4]. Understanding the mechanisms
through which particulate exposures cause morbidity and mortality continues to be a critical
public health concern.
