[extropy-chat] Nanoparticles linked to chronic lung diseases

[The Avantguardian]

I just attended a great talk by one of the professors
here at UCLA regarding the dangers of nanometer scale
air pollutants such as diesel carbon ash on the order
of 10-100 nm. He showed convincing data that it acts
as a immunological adjuvant that amplifies the immune
response to pollen and other normally harmless
allergens. This effect sensitizes people to those
allergens and causes massive inflammation of bronchial
passageways, resulting in bronchitis, asthma, and
COPD. Such chronic inflammation is also linked to
hypertension, heart disease, and eventually lung
cancer. The problem with these particles is that they
are small enough to go through even HEPA filters, so
they will require something else to deal with. In the
home, I would suggest one of those Ionic Breeze air
scrubbers. For the outdoors, I am not sure what would
work. Maybe military style gas masks or some kind of
not yet invented ion trap type air breather-mask.

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"The surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't attempted to contact us." 
-Bill Watterson

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