S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA], 1992; Wigle, Collishaw, Kirkbride, & Mao, 1987; Woodward, Hill, & Blakey, 2004). TSP has been www.selleckchem.com/products/Cisplatin.html found to be a cause of lung cancer (National Research Council, 1986; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1986) and heart disease (Glantz & Parmley, 1995; Law, Morris, & Wald, 1997; Taylor, Johnson, & Kazemi, 1992). Recently, a review of the epidemiological evidence concluded that TSP was associated with a significant increase in breast cancer among premenopausal women (California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, 2005). Of great concern is the health hazard that TSP exposure poses to children who are still developing physically and biologically.

Compared with adults, children breathe more rapidly, absorb more pollutants because of their small size, have less developed immune systems, and are more vulnerable to cellular mutations (Bearer, 2005), making them more susceptible to the effects of TSP exposure. TSP is associated with a greater likelihood of asthma, triggering an asthma attack, and chronic lung diseases (USDHHS, 1986), and it has been recognized as a cause of sudden infant death syndrome (Anderson, & Cook, 1997; USDHHS, 1986). It has been estimated that more than 20 million children in the United States will be exposed to TSP on a daily basis, with exposure often occurring in the home or the family vehicle (Klerman, 2004). Given the restricted area within which the smoke is circulated, the levels of TSP in cars would seem to pose a significant risk to children.

In a longitudinal study, Sly, Deverell, Kusel, and Holt (2007) found that by age 14, children exposed to TSP in cars were more likely to have a current wheeze, a persistent wheeze, and decreased lung function, relative to children who were not exposed. These risks for children exposed in cars were greater than that of children exposed in the home. Furthermore, results from an observational study in New Zealand (Martin Brefeldin_A et al., 2006) suggest that children of lower socioeconomic status may receive more frequent exposure to TSP in cars, thus furthering health inequalities already being experienced by some of the most vulnerable members of society. Despite the significant health threat that TSP poses and the health benefits that reduced exposure offers, few studies have attempted to measure the levels of TSP in cars, and the methods by which research has been conducted vary in terms of quality and in their findings. Findings from tobacco industry�Caffiliated studies have reported that nicotine and particulate levels in cars vary substantially (range=0.4 ��g/m3 [negligible air quality value] to 1,010 ��g/m3 [extremely poor air quality value]; Guerin, Jenkins, & Tomkins, 2002).