Toxicity of exhaust nanoparticles

Abstract

The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to more than one billion people today, is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the country's natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Over-exploitation of the country's resources, be it land or water, and the industrialization process, has resulted in environmental degradation of resources. Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. The rapid growth in motor vehicle activity and rapid industrialization is contributing to high levels of urban air pollution. The population is mainly exposed to high air pollution concentrations; where motor vehicle emissions constitute the main source of fine and ultrafine particles, having a serious impact on our urban air quality and public health. Studies showed that the composition of atmospheric particulate matter has a great impact on human health. In this study, we have reviewed the toxicity of vehicle exhaust, especially diesel exhaust nanoparticles and the associated health problems.

Air Pollution Monitoring Around Residential and Transportation Sector Locations in Lagos Mainland

“…Motor vehicle emissions constitute the main source of fine and ultrafine particles and have a serious impact on urban air quality and public health. 4 Globally, the hazardous impact of air pollution on human health and the environment has been on the rise, particularly in developing countries where most people still generate their own electricity by means of fossil fuel (diesel and petrol) powered electricity generator sets for both commercial and domestic use.…”

Air pollution control and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness in school children of Quito, Ecuador

“…It is worth mentioning that in the peripheral areas of Quito, such as in the north, the residential population has grown as has the number of commuters, with a resulting increase in heavy vehicular circulation, especially diesel buses [43]. Diesel combustion is known to generate approximately ten times more nanoparticles than the combustion of gasoline [53]. Even low levels of PM cause asthma and other respiratory diseases [46].…”

Particulate matter and ultrafine particles in urban air pollution and their effect on the nervous system

“…are attracting research interest globally due to their notorious and evident impact on human health. [25][26][27][28][29][30] To determine their potential toxicological effects (genotoxicity and cytotoxicity), it is important to consider their characteristics such as shape, chemical composition, surface charge, surface functionalization, solubility, distribution of the particles in body uids, internalization route, association with host carriers (example: red blood cells and plasma proteins), competition for receptors, tissue accumulation and 20,21 clearance. A combination of these factors may inuence the short and long-term effects in vital organs, including the brain.…”