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Wolfson Institute of Population Health

Study Description

Background

Air pollution contributed to one in eight deaths in 2019. People living with asthma are disproportionately affected by air pollution, increasing hospital admissions and the risk of death. To reduce air pollution, policies promoting electric and hybrid vehicles have been developed. However, these vehicles increase air pollution from tyre and road wear, which represents a greater proportion of roadside particulate matter than direct exhaust emissions. Non-exhaust emissions remain unregulated and underexplored in terms of their health impacts

Aim

Investigate the impact of non-exhaust emissions on the acute lung function and airways of asthmatic adults

Population:

We are recruiting 48 non-smoking adults with mild-moderate asthma. Recruited from primary care and local universities in central London.

Intervention:

Participants will be exposed in a random order to three contrasting air quality environments, in field laboratories at the following locations:

(1) High-speed continuous traffic location, to enhance tire wear emissions

(2) An urban background location away from nearby traffic sources

(3) A busy road junction characterized by stop-go traffic to enhance emissions from brake wear

To maximise exposure to different air quality environments participants will intermittently cycle on static exercise bikes at a standardised intensity and duration for 2.5 hours

Comparators variables:

Air quality will be monitored at all three sites for the duration of the testing visits (approximately 5 hours).  Air quality parameters that will be recorded are PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NO, NOX, O3, Organic Mass, NO3, SO4, NH4, elements and black carbon.

Outcome variables:

The primary outcome of the study is lung function as measured by Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1). With secondary health endpoints including: Spirometry (FVC, FVC/FEV1 ratio, z Scores), fractional expired nitric oxide (FeNO), oscillometry, asthma symptoms, asthma symptoms and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). 

BioBanking:

Blood plasma from venepuncture, nasal mucus from lavage, and urine samples will be collected of mechanistic analysis. 

Oversite:

This study has received approval from the US Enviornmental Protection agency, Queen Mary Univerisity London Institutional Research Ethics Committee, NHS Health research Athority aproval, and has been peer reviewed by Asthma and Lung UK Centre for applied research and the Health Effectis Institute (USA). The study is overseen by an Indepentant Scientific Committee of experts in the field. 

This study is registed with the National Institute for Health (USA) online study registry at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ the IONA pre-print protocol can be downloaded here

 

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