The following news release was distributed February 19, 2013 by UC Davis News Service. Kent Pinkerton is also professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology in the School of Veterinary Medicine
Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have, for the first time, developed a system that can determine which types of air particles that pollute the atmosphere are the most prevalent and most toxic.
Previous research has shown that air pollution containing fine and ultrafine particles is associated with asthma, heart disease and premature death. This new study, released today by the California Air Resources Board and the Electric Power Research Institute, marks the first time that researchers have conducted source-oriented sampling of these particles in the atmosphere.
For example, the researchers found that particulate emissions from vehicles, wood burning and residential cooking exhibited the most toxic effects at the study site in Fresno, which has among the nation’s highest rates of adult and childhood asthma.
“Right now, air quality standards are based on the mass of particulate matter and don’t distinguish between natural sources, like sea spray, and known toxic sources, like diesel exhaust,” said Anthony Wexler, the principal investigator and director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis. “This study will help regulators control only the sources that are toxic, which saves money.”
The scientists presented their research on Feb. 19 at a public seminar hosted by the state air board, at the Cal/EPA Building in Sacramento.
In Fresno, ambient particle samples were collected in both summer and winter to account for seasonal differences in the atmosphere.
The researchers used a single particle mass spectrometer, co-developed by Wexler, and 10 particle samplers to collect, analyze and separate ambient particles.
Laboratory mice then inhaled particle samples from the separate sources. Kent Pinkerton, a professor of pediatrics at the UC Davis School of Medicine, monitored their responses for signs of toxicity.
“This demonstrates that particles of different sources have different degrees and kinds of toxicity,” said Pinkerton. “We need to use this information to better understand the health effects of particulate matter. If we don’t, we’ll never really come up with a solution.”
The study was funded by the California Air Resources Board and the Electric Power Research Institute.
About UC Davis
For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 33,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget of nearly $750 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges — Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools — Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
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