A British study has concluded that people who ride their bikes to work may be inhaling 2.3 times more black carbon than those who walk. And you thought riding your bike was healthier.
These black carbon particles, which are a biproduct of burning fuel, enter your lungs and then stay there causing a ton of health problems. These health problems can range from a light cough to cancer and emphysema. It’s thought that the sizeable difference in how much cyclists inhale versus pedestrians is due to cyclists exerting more effort and therefore breathing harder and deeper. This is yet another good reason to not have sex under a freeway overpass.
The study was done by Professor Jonathan Grigg from Barts and the London School of Medicine who tested five pedestrians and five cyclists. Wait, this “study” had a sample size of 10 people? I’ve taken more samples trying to pick a gelato flavour. Let’s not sweat this too much until there’s more data, but finding a route with the least auto traffic possible can never be a bad thing.[The Atlantic]
Image: Shutterstock/Diego Cervo