Traps installed on diesel engines can cut heart-harmful microscopic exhaust particles by 98 per cent, according to new research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

A study involving a diesel particulate filter continuously regenerating trap (DPF-CRT) made by platinum refiner Johnson Matthey found that the technology increases blood vessel dilation and causes fewer blood clots in men compared to those inhaling unfiltered diesel fumes.

The researchers said that if the findings are confirmed in larger studies, the technology could be used to significantly reduce cardiovascular deaths.

According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution, including that caused by diesel exhausts, leads to 800,000 premature deaths every year around the world.

"This study focused on cardiovascular effects in men exposed in the laboratory to diesel fumes. Equipping diesel-powered vehicles with particle filters could significantly reduce heart disease," said Dr David E Newby, co-senior author of the study and the British Heart Foundation's John Wheatley chair of cardiology at the University of Edinburgh.

The Johnson Matthey DPF-CRT is a commercially available product that can be fitted to buses and heavy goods vehicles, either in the factory or as a retrofit option.

Its design, which is similar to that produced by a number of other manufacturers, consists of a platinum-based pre-catalyst and a filter element.

The catalyst at the front of the filter oxidizes part of the nitric oxide in the exhaust into nitrogen dioxide. This then flows through the particle filter and reacts with trapped carbonaceous particles to generate carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

"We have previously exposed people to nitrogen dioxide alone and seen no effect on the body," Dr Newby said.

Robert D Brook, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in an editorial alongside the research: "The study has provided an important piece to the puzzle of how air pollutants can affect human cardiovascular health."

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Diesel-engine Exhaust Filter Reduces Harmful Particles by 98 Percent (11/04/11)

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