Pollution and Oxidative Stress-Induced DNA Damage
April 15th, 2009Danish scientists have shown that particulate air pollution increases oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. Their investigation concludes that “Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage appears to an important mechanism of action of urban particulate air pollution.” The authors also state that “Exposure to ambient air particulate matter (PM) is associated with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.”*
Common sense tells us that air pollution is not good for us. However, these authors identify a number of ways that reactive oxygen species can be generated by particulate air pollution, which leads to oxidative stress damage. The Danish team found overwhelming evidence, based on three different types of experiments, that exposure to diesel exhaust and diesel exhaust particles causes oxidative DNA damage.
Unfortunately much of the world’s population already lives in a polluted environment and we are seeing the results show up in the rise of oxidative stress-related diseases. A previous post discusses the remarkable increase in chronic diseases. Read more about oxidative stress- related diseases at Eng3′s Need page.
*Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage by particulate air pollution.
Risom L, Møller P, Loft S. Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark.