# Effects of the exposure to ultrafine particles on heart rate in a healthy population

Valeria Rizza, Luca Stabile, Domenico Vistocco, Aldo Russi, Stefano Pardi, Giorgio Buonanno
(2019) Science of The Total Environment, Volume 650, Part 2, 2403-2410

RG DOI

## Highlights

• Evaluation of the correlation amongst ultrafine particles and heart rate
• Personal monitoring of 50 volunteers in terms of particle number concentrations
• Use of a statistical linear mixed model to fit the experimental data
• The short-term exposure to ultrafine particles is positively associated with heart.
• A logarithmic correlation amongst ultrafine particles and heart rate was estimated.

## Abstract

The correlation amongst exposure to ultrafine particle concentrations and heart rate in a large healthy population was investigated. The study was conducted by continuously monitoring for seven days fifty volunteers in terms of exposure to particle concentrations, heart rate and physical activity performed through portable monitors. Data were analyzed adopting a linear mixed model able to manage the obtained repeated measures and to recognize a general trend resulting from the subject-specific patterns. Results show that the short-term exposure to ultrafine particle concentrations is positively associated with the heart rate for the different physical activities of the subject investigated (laying down, sitting, standing positions). In particular, a logarithmic correlation was recognized with a sharper increase of about $4-6$ bpm for a variation of the particle number concentration of $2 × 10^4$ part/cm$^3$ and a slighter effect for further increases of about $0.1-0.2 × 10^{-4}$ bpm/(part/cm).

## Capsule

A positive correlation can be associated between the exposure to ultrafine particles and the heart rate.