Environmental Toxicology

Environmental toxicology is a laboratory-based research group, led by Professor Frank Kelly and Dr Ian Mudway. The research we undertake is directed towards understanding the mechanisms by which air pollution impacts on human respiratory health. Work to date has focused on gaseous pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide, as well as, particulate matter, either collected directly from ambient air of from vehicle exhaust.

Research

Current work, investigating the capacity of ambient particulates to drive damaging oxidation reactions in the lung has been supported by numerous funding agencies including the Medical Research Council, the European Union, The US Health Effects Institute, Transport for London and DEFRA.

Our Objectives

• To identify those characteristics of particulate pollution that are responsible for their detrimental health effects.
• To quantify the impact of traffic management schemes on the toxicity of ambient PM.
• To identify why certain individuals, and groups of subjects (asthmatics, people with smoking related disease) appear especially sensitive to air pollution.

Projects:

Assessing the Impact of Non-exhaust Emissions from Traffic on the Asthmatic Airway (IONA)