ULTRA

Research team at KTL

• Juha Pekkanen, D.Med.Sc., Docent
• Pekka Tiittanen M.Sc.
• Marko Vallius, M.Sc.
• Timo Lanki, M.Sc.

Finnish collaboration

• Kirsi Timonen, D.Med.Sc., Kuopio University Hospital
• Juhani Ruuskanen, Prof., Dean, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kuopio
• Esko Vanninen, D.Med.Sc. and Tuula Tarkiainen M.D., Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital

International collaboration

• Aadu Mirme, University of Tartu, Estonia
• Pasi Penttinen, Smittskyddsinstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
• IRAS, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands
• GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany

Funding

• European Commission (ENV4-CT95-0205 and ENV4-CT97-0568)
• Academy of Finland (#42625)

Contact person

• Juha Pekkanen

Background

Epidemiological studies have shown that current levels of ambient air particulate pollution are associated with increased cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality. The particular property of particles responsible for the health effects is not know. It might be the large number of ultrafine particles or the chemical composition of particles.

Objectives

• to improve exposure assessment of particulate matter of different size classes and different chemical composition
• to evaluate associated health risks, focusing on cardiorespiratory health

Description

The first part of the project consisted of comparisons of particle counters used in the project, and monitoring of particle number and size distributions in three European cities. In Finland, respiratory health of adult asthmatics was also studied. In the second part of the project, panel studies were carried out in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Erfurt, Germany, and Helsinki, Finland. Persons with coronary heart disease were followed up for 6 months with biweekly clinical examinations including measurements of the function of heart and lungs, and collection of urine samples for analyses of a biomarker of lung damage. The subjects also kept daily symptom diaries. Air quality was monitored at a central site. In addition, in Finland and the Netherlands indoor and personal concentrations of PM2.5 were measured.

Files

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