Our results showed that air pollutant effects on arrhythmia are predominantly acute starting at concentrations below air quality standards, and the association with CO and NO(2) suggests a relevant role for pollution caused by cars.

No abstract

A micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) and a nano-MOUDI were used to measure the atmospheric coarse (PM2.5 -10), fine (PM2.5), ultrafine (PM0.056-1) and nano (<0.056 microm) particle concentrations and size distributions at a traffic sampling site in winter in central Taiwan, from November 2004 to January 2005. Concentrations of metallic elements (Fe, Mg, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cu) and major ion (SO4(2-), NO3(-), NH4(+)) in particles of various sizes (nano, ultrafine, fine and coarse) were measured. Ambient air particulates generally exhibited a bimodal size distribution in the range 0.056-10 microm. The results show that the concentrations followed the order, Fe>Mg>Cr>Zn>Pb> Cu in PM10, fine, ultrafine and nano-sized particles. Moreover, the data showed that the average metallic elements Fe and Zn have similar concentration distributions: the concentration decreased as the particle size fell in the nano size range.

No abstract

A micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) and a nano-MOUDI were used to measure the atmospheric coarse (PM2.5-10), fine (PM2.5), ultrafine (PM0.056-1) and nano (<0.056 microm) particle concentrations at a traffic sampling site in central Taiwan during the winter period from November 2004 to January 2005. Meanwhile, concentrations of major ionic species (Cl-, NO3-, SO(2-)4, NH4+, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) were also extracted from various particle size modes (nano, ultrafine, fine and coarse) and analysed by ion chromatography (DIONEX-100). The mass size distribution of ambient suspended particles exhibited two modes. The size ranges of the particles at these two particle size modes were between 1.0 and 1.8 microm and 3.2 and 5.6 microm, respectively. The average mass media aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of suspended particles was 0.99 microm in this study. In addition, statistical methods, such as correlation coefficient and principal component analysis, were also used to identify the possible pollutant source for various particles size modes (nano, ultrafine, fine and coarse) during the winter months at a traffic sampling site in central Taiwan.