Exposure of Taxi Drivers to Ultrafine Particles and Black Carbon Within Their Vehicles

Summary

Brief Summary Short description of the protocol intended for the lay public. Include a brief statement of the study hypothesis. (Limit: 5000 characters)

Example: The purpose of this study is to determine whether prednisone, methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide are effective in the treatment of rapidly progressive hearing loss in both ears due to autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). This project is part of a research field on the role, not yet fully understood, of atmospheric pollution, especially from road traffic, on respiratory health and allergies, particularly on the development / onset of symptoms and functional disturbances. The ultrafine fraction of particles (UFPs - particles smaller than 100 nm in diameter) is of recent interest because of their ability to induce inflammatory effects, oxidative stress and may contribute to the exacerbation of asthma symptoms in susceptible individuals. UFPs, with their high number concentration and surface area and their small diameter are able not only to convey other contaminants, but also to contribute to a high deposition efficiency, into the alveoli in the lungs. Recently it appeared relevant to be interested in black carbon (BC), components of PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers), suspected of being responsible for their toxicity. Current epidemiological knowledge of the effects of UFPs and BC are few as compared to those on fine particles. Some professionals, such as police, drivers (taxis, truckers ...), delivery men, postal workers, workers on roads and highways, etc. are heavily exposed, during their working hours, to air pollution due to road traffic. These occupational groups appear to be at greater risk for developing respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases than the general population. Occupational exposure to diesel exhaust has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer mortality and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Occupational exposure to UFPs and BC has rarely been measured due to a lack of suitable devices. Therefore, this project's originality consists in measuring UFPs and BC by using portable devices developed in the recent years. The use of these devices, linking their recordings with ventilatory measures and repeating them, offers the rare opportunity to study the short-term respiratory health impact of this occupational exposure, which has never been described in the literature. Our research aims to: 1/ quantify the occupational exposure of taxi drivers to UFP, BC, oxides of carbon (CO, CO2) and to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 2/ identify spatio-temporal variability and patterns of exposure related to occupational tasks, 3/ study the impact of this occupational exposure to UFP and BC on ventilation performances and respiratory symptoms.

Conditions

• Pulmonary Ventilation

Interventions

OTHER

Exposure measurement

* 2 measurements per subject (in warm season and in cold season) * Devices placed inside taxi vehicles on the passenger seat in a sampling bag

OTHER

Spirometry test

* 2 measurements per subject - before and after the work shift - in warm and cold seasons * Subject will inhale and exhale in the device

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Exhaled carbon monoxide test

* 2 measurements per subject - before and after the work shift - in warm and cold seasons * Subject will exhale in the device

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Skin allergy test

\- Performed by a physician during the inclusion clinical examination

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Spirometry test

\- Performed by a physician during the inclusion clinical examination

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Testing

\- Performed by a physician during the inclusion clinical examination

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Paris 5 - Rene Descartes

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre national de la recherche scientifique - Lebanon (CNRS-L)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• French Environment and Energy Management Agency

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• URC-CIC Paris Descartes Necker Cochin

  collaborator OTHER

• Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lynda BENSEFA-COLAS, MD, PhD · Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SCREENING

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-02-01

Primary Completion

2020-06-11

Completion

2020-06-11

Countries

• France

Study Locations