However, the new findings suggest a more complicated mechanism. These tiny particles (less than 100nm in diameter), can get deep into lungs and are so small that cells recognise them as biological molecules which can be absorbed and processed, possibly accounting for their adverse health effects.

Previously, scientists showed that the effects of air pollution on the lungs of asthmatics correlated with the concentration of small, ultrafine particles inhaled, although the exact mechanism was unclear. Head of the Respiratory Pharmacology group, NHLI Pollution will affect everyone, but it affects people with underlying conditions, such as asthma, even more “Pollution will affect everyone, but it affects people with underlying conditions, such as asthma, even more.” “In major European cities like London, we are already exceeding the recommended levels for air pollution, and these findings provide another reason why we need to curb these levels,” said Professor Maria Belvisi, head of the Respiratory Pharmacology group at Imperial’s National Heart and Lung Institute, who led the research. The findings may provide a key link between exposure to air pollution on city streets and respiratory symptoms which can lead to hospitalisation for people at higher risk, such as the very young, the elderly, and those with respiratory diseases. In the latest study, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, an international team has shown that by-products from burning diesel fuel – called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – directly stimulate nerves in the lungs, causing a reflex response in the airways. Previous research has shown a strong association between urban air pollution and respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, but the underlying mechanism has been unclear. The study, led by researchers at Imperial College London, is the first to demonstrate a mechanism by which diesel exhaust particles, a major component of air pollution in European cities, directly affect the lungs to initiate symptoms such as a tightening of the airways and cough. Scientists have shown how diesel fumes trigger respiratory reflexes which could potentially worsen underlying conditions, such as asthma.

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