TOPIC OF CONCERN - Diesel Exhaust

Our Involvement | Research | Other Resources

About Diesel Exhaust

Diesel exhaust has been linked in numerous scientific studies to cancer, the exacerbation of asthma and other respiratory diseases. A draft report released by the US EPA in February 1998 indicated that exposure to even low levels of diesel exhaust is likely to pose a risk of lung cancer and respiratory impairment.

- American Lung Association

Diesel exhaust is a pervasive airborne contaminant in workplaces where diesel-powered equipment is used. Due to expanding use of diesel equipment, more and more workers are exposed to diesel exhaust. More than one million workers are exposed to diesel exhaust and face the risk of adverse health effects, ranging from headaches and nausea to cancer and respiratory disease. Such workers include mine workers, bridge and tunnel workers, railroad workers, loading dock workers, truck drivers, material handling machine operators, farm workers, longshoring employees, and auto, truck and bus maintenance garage workers.

- Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Our Involvement

Faculty

Courses

ENV H 449 Health effects of air pollution
Continuing educaiton: Diesel Exhaust & Human Health: Current Scientific & Policy Issues -- January 16, 2004

Centers, Institutes and Studies

Controlled Exposure Laboratory
Diesel Bus Study MESA Air Pollution study http://depts.washington.edu/mesaair/
Northwest Center for Particulate Air Pollution and Health (archived site)

News Coverage

Environmental Health News, Winter 2007 -- Air Pollution Inside & Out (stories about Kaufman, Koenig and Simpson)

Environmental Health News, Autumn 2006 -- Diesel Bus Study

Environmental Health News, Autumn 2004 -- Air Pollution and Human Health

Environmental Health News, Spring/Summer 2003 -- Respiratory Diseases

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Research

Graduate Students

Jason Allen, MPH (2006): Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in controlled human diesel exhaust exposure: A randomized, blinded, cross-over experiment (Joel Kaufman)

Michael Compher, MS (2004): Children's exposure to diesel exhaust from school buses with different diesel engines - A pilot study (L.-J. Sally Liu)

Heidi Curtiss, MPH/MHA (2006): Response to diesel exhaust inhalation among healthy subjects: Symptom, perception and physiologic measures (Joel Kaufman)

Amber Govert, MS (2005): Determination of 3-nitrotyrosine as a biomarker for oxidative stress induced by exposure to diesel exhaust (Christopher Simpson)

David Klavens, MS (2005): HPLC Analysis of 1-Nitropyrene as a method for the measurement of diesel particulate matter (Christopher Simpson)

Mike Paulsen, current student: Development of an Assay for 1-Nitropyrene Metabolites as Biomarkers of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust (Christopher Simpson)

Fiona Sands, MPH (2005): The effects of exposure to diesel exhaust on endothelial function as measured by brachial artery reactivity (Joel Kaufman)

Whitney Webber, MS (2006): Comparison of methods to estimate on-bus pollution from diesel school buses - a pilot study (L-J Sally Liu)

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Goss CH, Newsom SA, Schildcrout JS, Sheppard L, Kaufman JD, Effect of ambient air pollution on pulmonary exacerbations and lung function in cystic fibrosis, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2004;169(7):816-821.

Karr C, Lumley T, Shepherd K, Davis R, Larson T, Ritz B, Kaufman J. A case-crossover study of wintertime ambient air pollution and infant bronchiolitis, Environmental Health Perspectives 2006;114(2):277-281.

Larson T, Gould T, Simpson CD, Claibom C, Lewtas J, Wallace L, Liu LJS. Source apportionment of indoor, outdoor and personal PM2.5i Seattle, WA using positive matrix factorization. J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 2004;54:1175-1187.

Mar TF, Norris GA, Koenig JQ, Larson TV. Associations between air pollution and mortality in Phoenix, 1995-1997. Environ Health Perspect 2000;108:347-353.

Miller KA, Siscovick DS, Sheppard L, Shepherd K, Sullivan JH, Anderson GL, Kaufman JD. Long-term exposure to air pollution and incidence of cardiovascular events in women. New England Journal of Medicine 2007;356(5):447-458.

Norris G, Larson TV, Koenig JQ, Claiborn C, Sheppard L, Finn D. Asthma aggravation combustion, and stagnant air. Thorax 2000; 55: 466-470.

Pappas GP, Herbert RJ, Henderson W, Koenig J, Stover B, Barnhart S. The respiratory effects of volatile organic compounds. Int J Occup Environ Med 2000; 6: 1-8.

Sheppard L, Kaufman J, Sorting out the role of air pollutants in asthma initiation [editorial] Epidemiology 2000;11(2):100-101.

Conference Presentations

Carlsten C, Kaufman JD, Trenga CA, Curtiss H, Peretz A, Aulet M, Stewart JA, Larson TV, Sullivan JH. Blood coagulation markers in healthy subjects exposed to diesel exhaust, American Thoracic Society, May 19–24, 2006, San Diego

Corey LM, Baker C, Peck EC, Wilkerson JH, Luchtel DL, Kaufman JD, Kavanagh TJ, Rosenfeld ME. 4Plasma cytokine levels are increased in older apolipoprotein E deficient mice following exposure to diesel exhaust, Society of Toxicology, Charlotte, NC, March 25-29, 2007

Corey LM, Baker C, Luchtel DL. Cardiovascular effects in ApoE-/- mice following inhalational exposure to diesel exhaust, American Thoracic Society, May 19–24, 2006, San Diego

Liu L-JS, Children’s exposures and health effects from diesel exhaust before and after retrofit, International Society of Exposure Analysis, Oct 30–Nov 3, 2005, Tucson, Arizona

Luchtel DL, Corey LM, Baker C. Heart rate variability in the ApoE-/- mouse following exposure to diesel exhaust, American Thoracic Society, May 20–25, 2005, San Diego

Peck EC, McConnachie LA, Beyer RP, Bammler TK, Baker C, Ceballos D, Vliet PA, Stewart JA, Luchtel DL, Kaufman JD, Kavanagh TJ. Differential gene expression in GCLM-null and wild-type mice exposed to diesel exhaust, Society of Toxicology, March 5–9, 2006, San Diego

Peck EC, Trenga CA, Beyer RP, Bammler TK, Srinouanprachanh S, Sullivan JH, Farin FM, Kaufman JD. Gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy human volunteers exposed to diesel exhaust, American Thoracic Society, May 19–24, 2006, San Diego

Peretz A, Sands FN, Sullivan JH, Trenga CA, Leotta DF, Gill EA, Stewart JA, Kaufman JD. Brachial artery response in humans exposed to diesel exhaust, American Thoracic Society, May 19–24, 2006, San Diego

Peretz A, Sullivan JH, Trenga C, Shepherd K, Mieras J, Kaufman J. A pilot study of the effect of diesel exhaust on exhaled NO measures in healthy adults, American Thoracic Society, May 20–25, 2005, San Diego

Simpson C. Measurement of 1-nitropyrene metabolites in human urine: A potential marker for exposure to diesel exhaust, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology/International Society of Exposure Analysis, September 2006, Paris, France

Sullivan JH, Peretz A, Carlsten C, Moody MM, Trenga CA, Jansen KA, Kaufman JD, Stewart JA, Bammler TK, Hallstrand TS. Genomic analysis of the effects of diesel exhaust particles on asthmatic airways, American Thoracic Society, May 19–24, 2006, San Diego

Trenga CA, Sullivan JH, Hubbard R, Jarvis SS, Curtiss HM, Sands FN, Gould T, Stewart J, Shepherd K, Larson TV, Kaufman JD. Results from a pilot study of diesel exhaust exposure health effects in humans, American Thoracic Society, May 20–25, 2005, San Diego

Webber W, Davey M, Larson T, Liu L-JS, Hesterberg T, Ireson R, Easter M, Lapin C, Zielinska B, Lawson D. Comparing three approaches of estimating bus self-pollution—a pilot study, Air & Waste Management Association, June 20–23, 2006, New Orleans

Zielinska B, Campbell D, McDaniel M, Ireson R, Weaver C, Davey M, Liu L-JS, Lawson D, Hesterberg T. Chemical characterization of diesel crankcase and tailpipe PM emissions, including a quantitative deuterated tracer for lubricating oil, Air & Waste Management Association, June 20–23, 2006, New Orleans

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