Effect of passive smoke and traffic pollution on the lung
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Outdoor passive smoke and vehicular traffic effect on small airway function and inflammation
IRAS ID
177093
Contact name
Omar S Usmani
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
OBJECTIVE: to compare the effect of outdoor environmental pollution and passive smoking on breathing and inflammation of the airway tubes.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Passive second hand smoke (SHS) and traffic pollution are health risks to the general population. We aim to compare their adverse effect on how air gets through the breathing tubes to the lungs (airway function). More specifically, we would like to quantify the changes produced by SHS and traffic pollution on the smaller airway tubes. Furthermore, since air pollution also poses a greater risk to the health of patients with chronic underlying lung disorders, we would like to include a group of patients with mild/moderate asthma.
METHODS: twenty normal volunteers and twenty patient with asthma will be enrolled in the study.
Visit 1: we will measure 1) how difficult it is for the air to reach the lung (airway function) and the degree of inflammation of the airway tubes before and after 30 minutes walk in a street with high vehicular traffic (Oxford Street) or a pedestrian only area (Carnaby Street) chosen randomly.
Visit 2: During this visit we will repeat the same measurements performed in visit one. However, this time those who walked Oxford street during visit one will now be invited to walk Carnaby street and vice versa.
IMPACT: The study we propose is of interest not only to clinicians but also to policy makers. SHS has known negative adverse health effects. Our study will quantify the inflammation and the resulting airway dysfunction induced by vehicular pollution compared to SHS. This may prove to be instrumental to provide guidelines for the protection of the public population.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
15/WS/0187
Date of REC Opinion
9 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion