This is a temporal study of personal exposures to particulate matter in a panel of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Fifteen subjects will be monitored over 15 days (in each of two seasons) for personal, indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate matter. This study explores whether a high risk group modifies its exposure to air pollution through its activities and/or avoidance behaviors. The study will also determine the feasibility of direct exposure measurement in a panel study of acute health responses to environmental exposures.

To assess the respiratory effects of concentrated ambient particles in volunteer human subjects, a two-stage fine particle concentrator was fabricated and installed in the a movable exposure laboratory at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. Subjects' biomedical responses (respiratory irritation, airways inflammation, and alterations in cardiovascular function) to these exposures are being compared to responses under clean-air control conditions to assess the following hypotheses: (1) acute exposure to concentrated ambient fine particles in the South Coast Basin causes acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction; (2) the nature and magnitude of dysfunction differ according to the age and/or health status of the person exposed; (3) the nature and/or magnitude of dysfunction differs according to the characteristics of the particles inhaled.