What is it about?
Regular exercise improves physiological processes and yields positive health outcomes. However, it is relatively less known that particulate matter (PM) exposure during outdoor exercises may increase several respiratory health problems depending on PM levels. The respiratory deposition doses (RDDs) in head airway (HD), tracheobronchial (TB), and alveolar (AL) regions of various PM size 10 fractions (<10, <2.5, and <1 μm; PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) were estimated in healthy male and female exercisers in urban outdoors and within house premises.
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Why is it important?
The findings suggest that people who exercise outdoors could be exposed to higher PM concentrations. The RDDs in HD, TB, and AL regions of all size-segregated PM were found to be higher for males than for the females during light exercise and seated position, mainly because the respiratory rate is higher in males than females during both activities. RDDs values in AL region were significantly higher in PM1 (27%) compared with PM2.5 (13%) and PM10 (2%) during exercises. During outdoor exercise, there is an increase in the depth of breathing process.
Perspectives
Based on the study outcome, it may be advised that outdoor exercise whenever possible in the early morning before 7:00 a.m. is safer and one should try to avoid peak hours. It may be advised that people regularly exercising outdoors restrict such activities during adverse conditions such as winter season or near air pollution sources such as urban roadways. It may also be advised that for regular exercise, asthmatics or those with respiratory problems must restrict exercise to indoors or the gym during adverse conditions such as winter season and urban roadways.
SUNIL KUMAR GUPTA
Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Size-segregated particulate matter and its association with respiratory deposition doses among outdoor exercisers in Dhanbad City, India, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, June 2017, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2017.1344159.
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