Urban CO exposure and its health effects on traffic policemen in Ankara

Carbonmonoxide (CO) is an important component of air pollution caused by tr affic exhaust fumes. CO can cause chronic poisoning which shows its first s ymptoms as headaches, blurry vision, difficulty in concentration, and confu sion. With the increasing number of vehicles in metropolitan areas of Turke y, the CO level has also increased in the city air as is the case in the ca pital city of Ankara, especially at certain locations. As far as the effect s of CO on humans are concerned, traffic policemen are the population group under risk due to their inhalation of CO-rich air while on duty at the cro wded cross-sections of the city. The traffic policemen on duty at these cro ss-sections are exposed to these high levels of CO for at least 6 h. This s tudy was performed to investigate the traffic policemen (traffic organizers ) who are exposed to high concentrations of CO at crowded cross-sections of Ankara City and to find out if chronic CO intoxication exits among this ri sk group. The CO levels in the ambient air at these cross-sections have als o been compared to, and correlated with measurements of CO in the expired a ir of the target population. Additional factors like smoking, general healt h status, type of heating systems used at home, etc., have been taken into consideration by evaluating special questionnaires filled out by the police men. A control group of clerk policemen, who were not engaged in street tra ffic activities was formed for comparative purposes. (C) 2000 Academic Pres s.