• Air Pollution

environmental tobacco smoke

traffic-borne particulate matter

• Lead Pollution

blood lead level in children

Air pollution

Emitted particulate matter from tobacco products may pose a serious risk to active, but also passive smokers. A comprehensive exposure risk assessment is not yet possible because only very few data exist for environmental tobacco smoke production by different brands and respective size distribution of particulate matter. Therefore, we evaluate tobacco-related particulate matter for different cigarette and cigarillo brands in the TOPIC II study supervised by Prof. Dr. Ruth Müller and headed by our institute´s director Prof. Dr. Dr. Groneberg.

Traffic-borne particulate matter

Urban agglomeration areas are usually characterized by a high rate of air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM). In urban areas PM is mainly emitted by cars burning fossil fuel or during abrasion processes of vehicle tires and brakes, respectively from raised dust. Air pollution of PM from traffic emissions has a significant impact on human health. Our aim is to assess the exposure of traffic-related PM for car drivers to finally make conclusions on potential health risks.

lead pollution

A joint study of the Nepal Health Research Council, the Nepalese hospitals Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Siddhi Memorial Hospital and Patan Academcy of Health Sciences as well as our institute demonstrates that 6 to 36 months old children (Kathmandu, Nepal) living in homes with enamel paints on walls, windows and doors, belonging to lower ethnic groups or playing with dirt and dust had significantly higher blood lead levels than other children. Lead exposure must be addressed appropriately by health policy makers and our results argue for an improvement of natural home environment, i.e. to reduce the concentration of lead in paints. Society and parents should be as well aware of the problem on lead poisoning among the children from Kathmandu during their childhood.