No kidding: Waiting in traffic causes stress

March 13th, 2008 | Category: Health Watch

That stressed out feeling that you get while sitting in traffic may be more than a reaction that being late to work. Researchers recently discovered that exposure to diesel fumes has an effect on how the brain processes information.

Diesel fumes are a known health endanger, implicated for respiratory and cardiovascular problems. But those tiny particles of soot can additionally lodge

in the brain, and just 30 minutes sitting in a fume-filled room caused changes on study participants’ EEGs.

Whether or not these changes pose a serious health risk, researchers can’t yet say. I’m wondering whether there are steps that commuters can take to improve the indoor air quality of their vehicle. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Original post by Bethany Sanders

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