Study: Ultra-fine pollutants cause the most damage

One of the most surprising and counter-intuitive facts about air pollution is that it affects the heart at least as much as the lungs. While your respiratory system can protect itself from larger particles in the air (like dust), ultra-small particles sneak past the body's protective systems and actually enter directly into the bloodstream through the lung's air exchange chambers. Most of these tiny particles have never existed in the human environment until modern industrial processes and materials were invented. When they get into the bloodstream they have a similar effect to secondhand smoke: plaque builds up in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Bodo partners with IQ Air because they produce the only filters available to consumers that are capable of targeting these ultrafine particles (all the way down to 0.003 microns). Compared with HEPA filters, which are only effective on particles down to 0.3 microns, IQ Air filters particles 100 times smaller.

The red staining represents areas of plaque development in the aorta (lipid and macrophage content are part of atherosclerotic plaque development). Exposure to ultrafine particles results in the highest degree of plaques, while filtered air reduces plaque development substantially.

The graphic above comes from a recent UCLA study which sought to clarify what type of pollutants do the most damage. Present pollution laws and measurements only look at larger particles, down to 2.5 (PM2.5) or 10 (PM10) microns, which is problematic since these are the particles that the body has the best ability to resist. Ultrafine particles (less than 2.5 microns) are produced by diesel combustion, as well as many industrial processes and materials. These particles are coated in chemicals that are sensitive to free radicals, which cause cell and tissue damage known as oxidation. Oxidation then results in the inflammation that causes clogged arteries. The ultrafine pollutants also block "good" cholesterol (HDL) from carrying out its anti-inflammatory role which normally counteracts oxidation.

The study also found that pollution can begin causing cardiovascular damage in as little as five weeks, whereas previous studies were carried out over periods of several months or more.

[UCLA Newsroom: Study shows how ultrafine particles in air pollution may cause heart disease]