Ongoing research at the University of Canterbury has found that the air inside cars contains more pollutants than the air cyclists breathe on the street.

Researchers measured traffic pollution whilst travelling via different transport modes in Auckland and Christchurch. Their latest results, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, found that, in a standard morning commute in pre-quake Christchurch, car occupants were exposed to the most carbon monoxide and ultra-fine particulate matter.

“The air inside motor cars is generally more polluted that the air in buses, trains and for cyclists,” said lead researcher Prof Simon Kingham.

Where cyclists rode also had an impact on pollution exposure. “People cycling on the road experience significantly worse quality air than people cycling on routes away from roads,” said Prof Kingham.

via Science Media Centre » Blog Archive » Car occupants exposed to more pollution than cyclists.