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Peter S. Vinzents,¹ Peter Møller,¹ Mette Sørensen,¹ Lisbeth E. Knudsen,¹ Ole Hertel,² Finn Palmgren Jensen,² Bente Schibye,³ and Steffen Loft¹

¹Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; ²National Environmental Research Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark; ³National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract
Exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs) from vehicle exhaust has been related to risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and cancer, even though exposure assessment is difficult. We studied personal exposure in terms of number concentrations of UFPs in the breathing zone, using portable instruments in six 18-hr periods in 15 healthy nonsmoking subjects. Exposure contrasts of outdoor pollution were achieved by bicycling in traffic for 5 days and in the laboratory for 1 day. Oxidative DNA damage was assessed as strand breaks and oxidized purines in mononuclear cells isolated from venous blood the morning after exposure measurement. Cumulated outdoor and cumulated indoor exposures to UFPs each were independent significant predictors of the level of purine oxidation in DNA but not of strand breaks. Ambient air concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 10 µm (PM₁₀) , nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and/or number concentration of UFPs at urban background or busy street monitoring stations was not a significant predictor of DNA damage, although personal UFP exposure was correlated with urban background concentrations of CO and NO₂, particularly during bicycling in traffic. The results indicate that biologic effects of UFPs occur at modest exposure, such as that occurring in traffic, which supports the relationship of UFPs and the adverse health effects of air pollution. Key words: comet assay, exposure, oxidative DNA damage, personal, traffic, ultrafine particles. Environ Health Perspect 113: 1485-1490 (2005) . doi:10.1289/ehp.7562 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 31 May 2005]

Address correspondence to P.S. Vinzents, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, opg. B, 2. Sal, Postbox 2099, DK-1014, Copenhagen N, Denmark. Telephone: 45-35-32-76-55. E-mail: p.vinzents@pubhealth.ku.dk

The study was supported by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Research Centre for Environmental Health under the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health.

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Received 8 December 2004 ; accepted 31 May 2005.