biking? driving? It's been cited that people who live within a certain distance of the freeway have a higher incidence of various cancers. It's presumed that it's from chronic exposure to vehicle exhaust. Now when biking daily on the road for an hour on a moderately traveled road, you can obviously smell the exhaust so you're definitely breathing it in. Of course it's not good for you, but is the amount so little that the damage is nominal? How about when you're in a car an you're using vent?
No idea but the further from the main street, the better. It'll allow the particulate matter to somewhat settle down (at least the PM10s) and allow the rest of the components to dissipate. Could be a good thesis.
If everybody tried the "breathing on the bike" test, then that one would be better. If instead, everybody tried the "breathing while driving a gasoline car" test, then that one will be worse. So my answer is: Go with the one that *should* bet better, and get everybody else to join along and make it so.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Oct 11 2007, 06:54 PM) [snapback]524302[/snapback]</div> I'm not saying that breathing in fumes is like smoking, cause I just don't know. That's why I'm posing the question. I bike to the gym every morning and the the fumes is annoying beyond annoying. That's why I prefer mountain biking, but I digress. Might not the test you're suggesting be a better comparison if you tried "breathing on the bike while smoking" test vs "breathing while driving a gasoline car NOT smoking" test?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(burritos @ Oct 11 2007, 04:06 PM) [snapback]524276[/snapback]</div> During exercise, it has been found that "Exposure to air pollution from traffic is associated with adverse cardiovascular events." See: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/14757/1066/ I try to get my rides in during times of the day with less traffic. I also try to do more offroad mountain biking than road biking because I don't like sucking fumes and hate dealing with distracted drivers.
Which is why I think a lot of Olympic athletes are scared, uh, poopless about the Bejing Olympics. There's been a lot of talk about people wearing masks to protect themselves while competing.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Oct 12 2007, 11:52 PM) [snapback]525001[/snapback]</div> China's been seriously working on cleaning up, especially the air. They've mandated that factories be moved substantially away. For some they're looking at closing the factories until after the Olympics in the hopes that if they can eliminate emissions in the 3-4 months prior to the Olympics the air will clear enough. Personally, I'd be more concerned about the food and water. It isn't just air polllution they're lax on.
Breathing while riding a bike on the road beats not breathing while riding a bike. Riding the bike should do more good than the harm of riding on the most polluted road. I wonder if people who live near busy roads are also people who are in other high cancer risk groups like low income groups, renters etc. Maybe it's pollution?
Did everybody completely miss the point of Darell's post? Let me clarify: If everyone performed the test of breathing while on a bike instead of the test of breathing while in a car, then everybody would be on a bike, not in a car; and if everybody was on a bike, and nobody was in a car, then there would be no cars on the road and everybody would breath better. I cannot ride a bike, but since Yevette gets all her "fuel" from the Bonneville dam, and has no exhaust pipe, she does not contribute to bicyclists getting cancer. But to answer the OP's question: I believe it has been clearly established that air pollution is more hazardous when you are exercicing than when you are not, because you are breathing in more air, and with it more pollution.
