Article in The Toronto Star, 5-AUG-2024
By Moira Welsh, Staff Reporter
In neighbourhoods near airports or heavy traffic, nanosized particles from burning fuels are so small they escaped significant research and oversight.
Ultrafine — and unregulated — air particles from vehicle emissions and industries in Canada’s two largest cities are linked to an estimated 1,100 premature deaths each year, a new study found, with 600 of those deaths in Toronto.
In Toronto and Montreal neighbourhoods near airports or heavy traffic, nanosized particles from burning fuels such as diesel are so small they have escaped significant research and oversight, said a “first-of-its kind” study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
"Led by researchers at McGill University, the study found that the ultra-fine particles are associated with 7.3 per cent increase in the risk of non-accidental deaths. The paper calls for more study and regulation." "The ultrafine particulates, for example, have an adverse effect on blood vessels, contributing to coronary artery disease, he said. The paper noted that these particles also “contribute to oxidative stress and trigger inflammation leading to possible tissue damage, DNA modification and disruption of cell growth.”
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