To breathe air containing less carcinogenic benzene, stop smoking and leave the car at home.
That advice has emerged from the first in a series of Europe wide air quality studies.
There were 2 European cities acting as pilot-cities for the PEOPLE project: Brussels and Lisbon.
The first phase of the Population Exposure to Air Pollutants In Europe (PEOPLE) project took place in Brussels last October, and the results were published on 30th June. The results from the PEOPLE project in Lisborn were published on 17 July 2003.
The research focused on 125 volunteers who carried special sensors to monitor their levels of exposure to benzene, a carcinogenic substance produced by vehicle traffic and tobacco smoking.
A PEOPLE study of benzene concentrations will take place in Madrid this fall. The study will be extended to other cities in 2004: Belgrade, Dublin, Paris, and Rome have all expressed interest in being associated with the project.
The PEOPLE research will be extended to other toxic pollutants in the future, with an emphasis on particulates.
