Pilot study on the effect of ozone exposure on lung function

This pilot study is looking at how exposure to ozone — a component of air pollution — affects lung function. Ozone is found in urban smog and can irritate the airways even at low concentrations. Researchers want to identify the safest and most effective concentration of ozone to temporarily cause a small, controlled drop in lung function and mild airway inflammation in healthy volunteers. This information will be used in future studies that test whether antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can protect the lungs from pollution-related damage. Participants will attend a session where they breathe a carefully controlled concentration of ozone in a special chamber for a set period, and their lung function will be measured before and after. The process is reversible, and participants will be monitored throughout. To be eligible, you must be a healthy non-smoking man or woman aged 18 to 40 with normal lung function at baseline. You must not have asthma, COPD, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or work in an environment with high exposure to respiratory irritants. This study is run by The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research.