Originally Posted by
Closed Office
This a bit surprising, but here is a quote from the latest (very small, London, England) study.
"The first study found that the lungs of bicycle commuters in London contain black carbon levels 2.3 times higher than pedestrian commuters. The report's abstract notes that inhalation of black carbon is associated with reduced lung function and heart disease."
The rest of the report is at
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15417025,00.html
Fortunately most of mine is way off peak hours, and mostly on a bike trail.
A number of things to bear in mind here. First, London has an acknowledged problem with air quality, much worse than that of most European capitals. There has been a lot of criticism lately about the failure of the city authorities to take any effective measures. Second, this study looked at only ten individuals. Third, a study a few years ago indicated that the unhealthiest place to be, in terms of exposure to carbon particularates, was the back of a London taxi - presumably because these vehicles are out in the pollution all the time and there is a build-up of the particularates in the relatively static air in the cab. these things aren't straightforward.
Finally, the most encouraging features of the second paper cited in the linked article is the discovery that drinkers are less likely to get asthma. Mine's a red wine, thanks...