Healthy teens at risk of irregular heartbeats from air pollution

Vehicle exhausts and combustion in the manufacturing and construction industries are a major source of fine particulate air pollution or PM2.5s.

Healthy teenagers are more prone to irregular heartbeats after breathing in fine particulate air pollution, according to the first major study of its impact on otherwise healthy young individuals.

The findings have raised concern among researchers because heart arrhythmias, which can increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death, appear to be triggered even when air pollution is within common air quality limits.