Air Pollution and Thrombosis

Air pollution is a complex mixture of compounds in gaseous (ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide) and particulate phases. In the modern urban world, fossil fuel combustion (as used in automobiles and industry) is the major source of anthropogenic pollution.

It has become so omnipresent over the past century as to be commonly perceived as a normal natural entity—"the lazy, hazy days of summer."

While we have learned to live within this haze without a second thought, air pollution is neither natural nor benign.

Although several gaseous compounds have been associated with illnesses, the most compelling evidence implicates the particulate matter (PM) pollutants as major perpetrators of human diseases.

Particulate matter itself is a heterogeneous amalgam of solids and liquids varying in chemical constituents (organic and elemental carbon, nitrates, sulfates, and metals), sources, and sizes (ranging from a few nanometers to 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter).

Particulate air pollution has been linked to heart disease and stroke, possibly resulting from enhanced coagulation and arterial thrombosis....... Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution and Risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis...Andrea Baccarelli