Traffic Jams Increase the Risk of Lung Disease and Asthma

25% of the harmful particles inhaled by motorists occurs during their stops at the bottlenecks and traffic signals

---

Traffic jams are doubling the health risks of air pollution from car exhaust emissions, increasing the risk of lung and asthma, a recent British study suggests.

The researchers at the University of Surrey in Britain showed that 25% of the harmful particles inhaled by motorists occur during their stops at the bottlenecks and traffic signals.

In their new study published Monday in the journal Environmental Sciences, researchers sought ways to reduce exposure to harmful car exhausts while stopping at the traffic lights and traffic jams.

The researchers found that pollution from traffic jams could be prevented by three steps:

• Closing the windows.
• Turning on the internal ventilation system in the car.
• Keeping adequate distance between vehicles while standing in front of traffic lights, to minimize exposure to harmful emissions.

The team noted that these measures reduce the exposure to air polluted by car exhausts by 76%, and also the team advised to stay away from the places of traffic lights and intersections as much as possible to reduce exposure to air contaminated with car exhausts.

Source