Exercising in Polluted Areas: Study Suggests Benefits Outweigh the Health Risks of NO2 Exposure

Nancy Averett writes about science and the environment from Cincinnati, OH. Her work has been published in Pacific Standard, Audubon, Discover, E/The Environmental Magazine, and a variety of other publications. About This Article open Citation: Averett N. 2015. Exercising in polluted areas: study suggests benefits outweigh the health risks of NO2 exposure. Environ Health Perspect 123:A158; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.123-A158 News Topics: Air Pollution, Urban Issues, Respiratory Health Published: 1 June 2015 PDF Version (661 KB) Related EHP Article A Study of the Combined Effects of Physical Activity and Air Pollution on Mortality in Elderly Urban Residents: The Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Cohort Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, Audrey de Nazelle, Michelle Ann Mendez, Judith Garcia-Aymerich, Ole Hertel, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad, Ole Raaschou-Nielsen, and Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen Researchers have documented adverse effects of exposure to air pollution while exercising, such as reduced lung function among runners after they ran near busy highways1 and among cyclists after they rode along heavy traffic routes during rush hour.2 In this issue of EHP, however, investigators report that over the long-term, exposure to air pollution while exercising did not seem to reduce the beneficial health effects of physical activity on mortality risk.3 The authors used data from the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study, a prospective investigation of the relationships b...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Featured News Science Selection Air Pollution June 2015 Respiratory Health Urban Issues Source Type: research